


Amidst the Two Graves

by shastarfiction123



Category: Revenge (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-05-02 04:34:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5234279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shastarfiction123/pseuds/shastarfiction123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upon embarking on a path of revenge, Confucius warns that one should dig two graves. Confucius was right. The second of the two graves was meant for me…I was only saved by my father's infinite love…It is because of his sacrifice along with the love and devotion of the ones I hold dear, that somehow, amidst the two graves, I've come to the realization that life still awaits me...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Saying Fulfilled

**A/N: Okay everyone! You guys have convinced me! Lol I have debated over and over whether or not to do this since I didn't want to butcher the series with what I wished or thought would happen in the "Two Graves" finale, but dang it we were robbed of so much in what SHOULD have been a TWO-HOUR FINALE LIKE EVERY OTHER SHOW HAD! SO, it is with great pleasure (and slight nervousness) that I present, my own version of what I think shoula, coulda, and woulda, happened in the "in-between" scenes of Two Graves. Please read, review, and definitely feel free to offer suggestions!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Revenge. ABC Studios and Mike Kelley did, and I miss it greatly!**

* * *

**_Upon embarking on a path of revenge, Confucius warns that one should dig two graves..._ **

An exhausted, yet excited Jack Porter released the breath he was holding in as he watched his hopefully soon to be father-in-law leave his hospital room. Truth be told, he was a little surprised at himself for asking something so serious as David's daughter's hand in marriage at such a "not exactly opportune" time, especially when he just survived a fatal injury and everything seemed to be falling apart at the seams for all of them. But then again, when has his timing ever been good? Although Jack was known for being cautious, he was also impulsive when it came to matters of the heart and this situation was no different; due to the fact that his heart longed for Amanda Clarke for over 20 something years.

The cycle for them was torturous and seemed like it would never end. Every time the opportunity was welcome for them to be together, something, someone, or even themselves would get in the way and destroy what little hope they had.

Until recently.

And in those blissful and passionate moments when they finally came together, all he could think about was how he finally felt complete; how that void that always panged his heart when engaging in such _activities_ left him for good when he was with her. And as a result, it brought him to a realization.

A realization that in no way surprised him in the least, but the validity thereof expelled any logical doubts and fears and made his decision of asking David final.

And that realization was that he never wanted to be without her…

He never wanted another day to go by without being there for her…

Protecting her and keeping her safe…

Showing her that there's more to life than the darkness that plagued hers for so long…

That there was a light at the end of the tunnel…

That he would never lose her again…

That he intended to be by her side for the long run…

Because like her father, his love and devotion for her was infinite…

Now that he was sure of her feelings for him and vice versa, he refused to waste another minute. The road would be long and hard no doubt. They were a far cry from a picture perfect couple and they each bared everlasting scars, both physically and emotionally. There was no guarantee that they would make it; even now with so much on the line, including their own lives.

But he be damned if they didn't try…

Because if there was anything that all of the past 4 years of hell has taught him, it was that life was too short to not take a risk.

Especially when it came to true love.

Jack closed his eyes as he reflected on the events that happened; from that feeling of satisfaction he felt when he watched Amanda sleep peacefully, wishing for the moment to last for a lifetime, but knowing that eventually they would need to eat to replenish their energy, to where he was ambushed and stabbed mercilessly, to that feeling of fear and regret as he thought about leaving his son and her for good, to the voices that he heard as he faded into the black, as well as when he came out of his unconscious state.

Even now they rang so clearly through his mind…

A faint yet distant barking sound and whimper…

A weak yet deep voice full of pride.

" _You have always been so strong…But your life is still ahead of you. I couldn't be more proud of you son…"_

A blunt and sarcastic playful voice yet full of sincerity…

" _Don't you think you've suffered enough hell? Do us all a favor and go live happily ever after already! Do it for Carl, Amanda, and Nolan…and for Charlotte…"_

A stern voice that held a British accent…

" _When you make it through this…You better make damn sure you take care of her Porter…Give her the happiness she so richly deserves...I am counting on you…"_

A soft voice full of confidence…

" _I miss you all more than words can express...But she needs you more than ever. She gave me her word that she would take care of my family, but now she needs someone to look after her…In the end, both of you being happy is all that matters…And there is no one that I trust more to cherish you and Carl than her…"_

And finally, a faint yet broken voice full of sorrow…

" _Please don't leave me…I need you…"_

Jack sighed as he opened his tired blue eyes once more, fighting off sudden exhaustion from the effects of his pain medicine as it started to work its magic. He moved his arm carefully, being mindful of the many IV tubes that were connected to his body, and searched for his cell phone buried under the covers.

Once he found it and dialed Nolan's number only to receive a voicemail greeting, he frowned uncomfortably as anxiety filled the pit of his stomach. David might have tried to reassure him when he said that he heard from Nolan that Amanda was alright; but for some reason, it still did not sit right with him.

Especially because Amanda was…well…Amanda.

It was one thing that his "finally" girlfriend was known to be secretive, canny, ingenious, and stubborn…But when it came to seeing the ones she loved hurt, she could be quite deadly…

His anxiety grew.

" _Please don't leave me…I need you…"_

He could only imagine what she was going through right now…

He tried calling her; no answer.

He tried calling Nolan again; same results, no answer.

"What the hell could they be doing?" He muttered. He then searched his thoughts for anything he could remember that could possibly hint to their whereabouts…

And immediately wished he didn't.

" _I'm not going to put Victoria in prison…I'm going to put her in the ground…"_

His eyes widened.

" _And don't you dare try to stop me!"_

" _I won't. Do it!"_

"Oh shi-!" He didn't have time to finish the thought as he abruptly grabbed his cell phone and punched Nolan's number again, demanding that he would call him back as soon as possible. Jack cursed once more as he kept trying to call, but to no avail. He paused as nature made its call and called his nurse who helped set up his IV pole so he could make it to the bathroom across the hallway, near the emergency room. What he saw on the way there only heightened his feelings of uneasiness.

He called Nolan once more. This time, when it picked up on the third ring, Jack didn't leave any room for greetings.

"Nolan! I've been trying to reach you! What the hell is going on?! "He growled into the phone, trying to refrain from shouting in the busy hallway.

" _Jack?! I-is that really you?"_ Nolan's shocked yet relieved voice sounded in reply.

He sighed for a moment, picking up on his friend's valid concern, but did not lose the exasperation in his tone. "Yes it's me. Now answer my damn question. Where are you right now? Where's Emily?"

" _Well…I had to…take care of some things at the beach club, and as for Ams, I couldn't tell you…specifically where she is, but I-I'm sure she's okay…"_ Nolan's bitter yet uneasy tone of voice replied.

Jack was scared to ask about what Nolan meant by "taking care of things" and instead bluntly asked, "So you're at the club right now?"

" _Yeah…No worries though, I'm on my way to the hospital right now, so I'll see you then."_ Nolan stated, ready to hang up the phone with the hand that wasn't bleeding profusely.

"Bull."

Nolan jumped, startled by the sudden voice, only to see a very angry Jack Porter right behind him. He didn't have time to gather himself together as he was suddenly pushed against the nearby wall.

"Why are you lying to me right now?! What the hell happened to your hand?! AND WHERE THE HELL IS EMILY?!" Jack roared, ignoring the fact that he might have ripped out one of his IVs.

"Jack! Please calm down! O-okay-okay I-I'll tell you everything! Promise!" Nolan gasped.

Jack immediately loosened his grip. "Start talking."

* * *

Once they were back in the room, Nolan told Jack everything from when Emily visited him in the hospital, to Louise coming back and knowing where Victoria hid, to White Gold's take down, to what happened with his hand, and finally, what Emily planned to do once she found Victoria.

Jack cursed repeatedly and banged his fist on the top of his covers. "Damn it! Nolan, we need to find her! We-we need to stop her! We can't let her go through with this!"

"I'm sorry Jack…But this is Ams we're talking about. Knowing what she's capable of, and once her mind's made up…you know how she is…There's no talking her out of it." Nolan somberly replied with all seriousness. _"Not that I would want to…"_ He added mentally with bitterness.

"Killing Victoria would ruin everything! She's never crossed that line, there's no going back once committing murder! She's already come so far… _We_ have already come so far! I can't let it end this way! I-I need to see her. She-she needs to know I'm okay! Maybe then she'll come back to her senses and-"Jack scrambled to get up from the hospital bed once more, but Nolan stopped him, pushing him back down gently.

"Jack please, it's no use. She wouldn't want you getting in the middle of this and getting hurt worse than you already are anyways! I mean you're not even recovered yet!" Nolan insisted and pointed to Jack's hospital gown that was now soaked in blood due to one of his stitches busting.

Jack cursed inwardly and closed his eyes in pain, detesting the feeling of helplessness he felt.

"But if it makes you feel any better, David went after her." Nolan added softly.

"He-he did?" Jack asked with hopefulness.

Nolan nodded. "He was aware of what Emily was going to do and followed after her; most likely to stop her."

Jack let out a sigh of relief. If there was anyone that could get through to Amanda at a time like this, it was her father.

But to be honest, he didn't blame her. After all, he's been where she's at right now.

Had it not been Amanda revealing her true self and getting through to him, Conrad would have most likely been dead far before David ended him.

But he's also been where she hasn't.

He's killed someone before.

Of course it was all out of self-defense, it was definitely merited, and he couldn't lie and say that the bitch Kate didn't deserve it since she used him, killed Daniel, and attempted to kill his love.

But it still didn't change the fact that he could never take it back and that he had to live with it for the rest of his life.

He didn't want that for Amanda. Granted she's done some hellish things and her actions have left ripple effect results, but it's never gone that far.

He could only hope that David makes it in time and stops her from making the biggest mistake of her life that could very well claim her soul for good.

Jack then tried to relax as the pain medication kicked in full force; he turned towards Nolan and sighed.

"Is your hand okay?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, yeah. Trust me I've had worse cuts…The tetanus shot I had to have hurt like a mofo though." Nolan winced with a smile.

Jack smiled back lightly, but then frowned. "Hey man…I'm sorry about earlier…I just-"

"Don't be. You don't deserve to be kept in the dark…Quite frankly, you never did, and somehow I figured you'd find out what was going on with or without Ams wanting you to or not since you always find out the truth one way or another. She kind of underestimates that about you though." Nolan smirked.

"Don't I know it…She's been like that ever since we were kids…" Jack rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly while shaking his head. "Her secrecy annoyed the heck out of me, but at the same time it was fun and never boring since you never knew what she would be up to next…Every day was an adventure…"

"You really love that gal huh?" Nolan smiled knowingly while wiggling his eyebrows.

Jack blushed slightly, but nodded with confidence. "More than anything. Which is why, I'm hoping David talks some serious sense into her because it's going to be difficult asking her to marry me if she's on a life sentence…" He deadpanned.

"W-wait! Y-you're going to propose to her?!" Nolan asked with excitement.

"That's the plan…If we make it through this…"

"OMG! It's about time! I can't believe it!" Nolan exclaimed and reached over to hug Jack, not being mindful of the newly restored IVs and his still bleeding abdomen as he squeezed him tightly, making Jack wince and yelp in pain.

"Oh! Sorry! Sorry! My bad!" Nolan replied sheepishly as he still smiled with excitement at the news.

* * *

The light mood and atmosphere suddenly disappeared completely as Nolan answered his cell phone.

"Hey David did you ever get the chance to reach Em…W-wait what? YOU DID WHAT TO VICTORIA?!"

Nolan's shout alerted Jack immediately. "What? What is it?! What about Victoria?!"

Nolan put up a hand and continued to listen to David in horror. "WH-where's Emily?! I-is she okay?!"

Jack watched Nolan pace anxiously. "What about Emily?! Is she alri-"

"-VICTORIA DID WHAT?! No…No! T-this can't be happening! W-where is she now?!" Nolan now had tears streaming down his face as his entire body shook.

"What's going on?! What's wrong?! Is it Amanda?! Is she alright?!" Jack was officially scared as he watched Nolan continue to shake and stutter.

"I-I-I'll b-be r-right there!" Nolan managed once he hung up, he put his head into his hands and sobbed loudly.

"Nolan?! What is it! DAMNIT TALK TO ME! WHAT DID HE SAY?!" Jack raised his voice out of complete distress.

"V-Victoria…Sh-she's dead. D-David shot her…b-before Emily could…B-but…Victoria…she-before she died she-she-!" Nolan tried to explain, his crying increased with every word.

"SHE WHAT?!" Jack yelled, petrified of the answer.

"…She shot Emily…" Nolan finished sorrowfully.

Jack's heart stopped in that moment.

He froze in absolute shock and terror and suddenly felt as if his insides were ripped out of him. He shook his head in disbelief and whispered.

"No…N-No…"

Bitter tears stung and filled his eyes and his body trembled as he wailed and shouted in agony.

"NO! THIS CAN'T HAPPEN! NOT AGAIN! NO!" Jack quickly and abruptly ripped the EKG wires from his body and desperately stumbled out of his bed, IV pole be damned, ignoring Nolan's protests and pushing him off of him full force when he tried to hold him back.

He beat Nolan out the door as he limped down the hall, not caring that his stitches tore in his haste by the pressure he was putting on his already weakened body. He tripped a few times but refused to stay down as he forced himself up and trudged down to the Emergency Room unit. Sure enough, he saw a gurney surrounded by nurses barking out orders left and right. And in the midst of them, he saw the pale and lifeless face of the one they once called Emily Thorne, who was now known as Amanda Clarke.

The love of his life…covered in blood.

"AMANDA!" He yelled as he tried to keep up with the crowd that surrounded the gurney. "NO! NO! DON'T YOU DARE DIE! DO YOU HEAR ME! DON'T YOU DARE! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS! YOU CAN'T! I'M HERE NOW! PLEASE HEAR ME! I NEED YOU TO BE OKAY! I NEED YOU TO PULL THROUGH THIS! YOU CAN'T DIE! WE FINALLY HAD A CHANCE TO BE TOGETHER! DON'T LET THIS BE TAKEN AWAY TOO! I LOVE YOU! DAMN IT I LOVE YOU! DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME AMANDA CLARKE! PLEASE!"

Determined to get to her, Jack ignored the excruciating pain of his throat and vocal chords and kept at it, until the male nurses stopped him and tried to hold him back as the gurney continued down the hall.

"NO! AMANDA! LET GO OF ME! GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME! I NEED TO BE WITH HER! LET ME GO!" Jack pleaded, screamed, and struggled to get the medical staff off of him, but to no avail. He felt a sharp prick in his leg, and then suddenly, it all went black as his as his last thoughts echoed in his mind.

" _Please don't leave me…I need you too!"_

_**Confucius was right.** _

_**The second of the two graves was meant for me...** _


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: GUYS! I am so sorry this took so long! Writer's block sucks! I had to watch a bunch of Revenge clips and Jemily scenes to get the right kind of inspiration for these events! So please know that I tried to get this as accurate in possibilities as well…possible lol. So on with the "What I wish could have happened" phase. Please read and review and if possible, I reiterate, Jemily fans, We. Need. More. Stories!**

* * *

_**I was only saved by my father's infinite love…** _

_It was done…_

_It was all over…_

_Everything she trained for and everything she endured for the past 4 years since she chose to take the dark path of retribution, has been completed._

_So where's that feeling she was supposed to be experiencing right about now?_

_Where was the sense of pride and fulfilling happiness that went beyond simple satisfaction for justice finally being served?_

_What she felt at the moment was nowhere near satisfaction, but was more so a weariness, a sense of uneasiness, and a hint of regret._

_Was it regret for what she did to the Grayson dynasty?_

_Absolutely not._

_They got what they've always deserved, not just for her sake, but for the many other innocents that they tortured and even killed during their iron fisted reign._

_So then, what was going on?_

Amanda's eyes twitched painfully as they opened slowly and adjusted to the bright lights in her recovery room. She didn't know what shocked her more, the fact that she was alive despite being shot point blank unexpectedly, again, only remembering everything that occurred this time, or the feeling she was having at the moment as she glanced down at her now stitched up chest.

She should be happy.

Victoria was dead which finalized the fall of the Graysons for good.

They all deserved to rot in hell…Well, save for Daniel. She'd mention Charlotte, but she was a Clarke, not a Grayson.

More than that, she was her sister.

Even though Amanda knew good and well that she wished she wasn't after all the pain and torture she put her through. That fact was proved evident when the youngest Clarke tried to kill her.

Speaking of death…that was another thing that confused Amanda.

Shouldn't _she_ be dead by now?

The last thing she remembered was telling her father that she loved him while trying desperately to convince him to not take the rap for Victoria's death and throw what was left of his remaining life away.

Even though he was the one that killed her.

" _Dad?! What the hell are you're doing she was mine!"_

" _Saving your soul! You have no idea what crossing that line means! No matter how justified! It's over."_

But was it really over?

Was this really the end of the cycle that plagued Amanda and her loved ones for so long?

It would seem so. Her mission was complete after all. But as with any vicious storm that passes, one must still deal with the aftermath and repercussions thereof, which made her ask herself the golden question…

" _What now?"_

Where does it go from here?

It was bad enough that after revealing her true identity, she was still adapting to not being in control of whatever life threw at her; not knowing what were in the cards or being able to manipulate the outcome to what she desired; but now, not only did she not know what was next for her, she also was forced to deal with the consequences of the never ending revenge era.

And it was quite a mess.

She cringed just thinking about it…

As far as she knew, nothing was guaranteed anymore. There was no telling what was happening now.

Charlotte still hated her…Not that she could blame her, but still, she felt the pain from such feelings.

She worried for Nolan's safety. Even though she fully believed in her best friend's abilities and potential since he had been her trusty partner in her takedowns for so long, he was dealing with a serious, dangerous killer; an assassin that showed no mercy whatsoever and delighted in killing anyone in cold blood for the sake of a big paycheck.

Just the thought of anything happening to the man she considered to be closer to her than a brother…

She sighed painfully while shaking her head, holding back her emotions and shifting her thoughts.

She thought about her father; how he saved her in more ways than one. She had slipped so far into the darkness of the pain and agony that was caused by Victoria, to where she was willing and eager to forsake the values and promises she made about not taking a life. The buildup was so powerful that once the final straw broke the camel's back, she was out for Victoria's blood; officially not giving a damn about what happened afterwards, about the consequences that would follow, or how it would destroy the good and innocence left in her. She was ready to fulfill the two graves saying to its fullest.

And her father knew it.

Which is why he intervened.

But what now?

Everything was captured on those damn cameras. It was only a matter of time when the authorities as well as the world would know what truly happened, and how it truly ended; meaning that her father was most likely taken into custody; responsible, guilty, and charged with the definite murder of Victoria Grayson.

His days of freedom, or what was left of it, were numbered. Again.

All for his precious daughter's sake.

All because his infinite love saved her just in time.

The thought of her father being arrested, again, with her helpless to do anything about it, again, made Amanda's breathing quicken with distress. He was already dying. That was hard enough to accept! Now, he was going to writhe and waste away in a cold, dark, and desolate cell until his sickness consumed him completely.

She tried to stop the tears that ran down her face.

She refused to feel that state of hopelessness and helplessness that resulted in crying. No. This was the time for her to come up with a plan. This was the time for her to shift into the ingenious and brilliant machine that was Emily Thorne and devise a solution that would save her father and put all of this behind her.

But Emily Thorne no longer existed…

And she could not change what happened…

For the first time in a long while, Amanda Clarke's mind drew a blank.

And she hated it with every fiber of her being.

She wanted to scream in frustration, but the stress she was enduring already intensified the physical pain she felt in her body. She balled her fists, wiping her eyes furiously as tears kept escaping.

She cursed her weakness.

…And speaking of weakness...

" _I will find your weak spot…"_

" _So who's yours?"_

" _My what?"_

" _Your weak spot?"_

Another thought of a certain someone crossed her mind, which in turn, made her eyes widen in horror.

As if she couldn't feel any worse…

" _I had to warn you I…I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you…"_

"No…" She whispered, her mind flashing back to the still, almost lifeless form of the man that now and had always held a special and sacred place in her heart.

Her eyes stung once more.

" _I guess I'm just scared…This whole mess isn't over yet and I don't know…how it's going to end…"_

"No…No-no-please no…" She choked in a whisper as she shook her head, remembering the pleading she made in an effort of clinging on to the last bit of hope that he would heed her cry and make it through.

" _Please don't leave me…I need you…"_

But she knew better.

She was always trained to expect the unexpected; to assume the worst in order to counteract and assume control. If she were to be optimistic, if she were to hope for the better, then the disappointment would prove fatal in impact.

After all, she knew from experience…

" _You're gonna be okay Amanda…Oh no…Oh my go-I'm so sorry!"_

" _Don't be…"_

She lost so many loved ones…

" _Aiden wake up…Aiden wake up! No...No-no-no-no-no-no! AIDEN WAKE UP! NO! **NOOOO**!"_

" _I loved him…more than I ever loved anybody…"_

More than she could number…

" _I want you to know that it wasn't all a lie…Not with you…_

" _I know…"_

More than she ever expected…

" _EVERYONE SHE LOVED IS DEAD! THE GRAYSONS KILLED THEM ALL! They left me nothing to go back to Nolan!"_

Little by little, loss after loss, it tore her apart…

But she had to make herself strong.

She had to endure.

…But this was _Jack…_

This was someone who both suffered and endured through multiple losses and pain as much as she had. This was the man that she went through hell and back to protect at all costs even though it broke both of them in the process. This was the man who had been her light and source of happiness since she was a child. And although she had given her heart to Daniel for a time, and completely to Aiden, and vice versa for the real Emily Thorne, he never stopped being in it.

Things were beyond complicated for them to say the least…

But from the time she met him, to when he destroyed her sand castle, to their fake wedding on the beach, to when she left Sammy in his care, to when she was in foster care and juvie, to when she watched him in the distance, to when she reunited with him with a different identity, to when they both endured heartbreak, to when her feelings were tested, to when he tried with all his might to hate her once he learned her secret, to when they gave their hearts to others, to when they rebuilt trust, and to when their feelings finally became clear, she never stopped feeling that way about him when he was around her.

She never stopped loving Jack.

Just the thought of them coming so far, only for it all to end now…After all of her efforts of trying to keep him safe, and vice versa…

Not knowing if he made it through or not, but was prone to expect the inevitable, she assumed the worst.

And that was all it took for Amanda to break down completely.

She allowed the tears to fall freely from her reddened eyes, losing strength, whispering his name in a broken and defeated voice, until she abruptly buried her face into the pillow, wailed his name in agony, and sobbed violently for the loss of her true love on top of everything and everyone else.

Or so she thought…

"For someone who just escaped the hands of death again, I would have thought that maybe you'd be a little happier…"

Amanda quickly whipped her head around to the source of the cold yet soft toned voice.

Her tear stricken eyes widened once more.

"Ch-Charlotte?" She gasped in shock and disbelief.

"Hello _sis_ …"

**To Be Continued.**


	3. Making amends

A/N: I want to thank everyone for the awesome reviews and encouragement to keep writing this fic! I can never get enough of Revenge, even though it's over. It was a tragic and beautiful series and I just wish we could have seen more in the finale…So here's more evidence of how desperate I was to imagine my own perspective on what I think could have happened. Thanks for reading!

 

Completely stunned at seeing her sister in the doorway, Amanda tried to compose herself as she hastily wiped her tears; but the hopelessness and sorrow was still evident when she found her voice.

"What are you doing here?" She rasped.

Charlotte shifted her gaze to the floor and bit her lip as she refrained from snapping at her in reply. She and Emily, er- Amanda were still not on the best of terms or rather, she chose not to be on good terms with her. But her bitter attitude changed instantly once she reflected on the reason of why she decided to show up to the hospital in the first place.

She sighed and eventually looked up at her sister.

"…Dad sent me…"

 

Flashback to a few hours earlier. 

A completely relaxed and serene Charlotte Clarke sighed with content as she walked through an open meadow, guiding one of the horses she brought along from her equine therapy sessions. Considering the disturbing encounter she had earlier with that persistent red head regarding her not so dearly departed mother and making it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with that witch's funeral, she couldn't think of a better time to get away from it all and clear her mind; especially since she had come so far in improving her lifestyle. 

She led the horse to a nearby stream for a quick drink of water, enjoying the cool breeze and calm trickling sound of the brook when all of a sudden, her cell phone buzzed. 

Weary that it was that pesky red head, she decided not to answer. Unfortunately, this did not deter the phone from ringing repeatedly. Once it became too much for the brunette to handle, she growled as she hit the "talk" button, ready to give the nettlesome woman a piece of her mind. 

Until she heard the distressed raspy voice on the other line. 

"Charlotte?! Charlotte is that you?" 

"Who is this?" She replied with apprehension. 

"It's me Charlotte; your father, David Clarke."

"D-dad?! Oh my go-wait…How did you get this number?" Charlotte replied in shock. 

"…I got it from your sister, Amanda."

"Oh. And here I thought she would have deleted it by now like I did hers." Charlotte dryly mumbled to herself while rolling her eyes; not realizing that David heard her. 

"So you did know." David stated in a matter-of-factly tone and a hint of anger.

"K-know what?" Charlotte replied hesitantly. 

"That your sister was alive all this time, and of her true identity." 

"…She told me. Before I met you, and shortly after I tried to commit suicide…" Charlotte replied honestly. She saw no point in trying to cover up. Not with him. 

"What?! Charlotte why?! Why-" 

"-You know I wondered the same thing!" Charlotte snapped, but then sighed heavily. "Look, I-I'm sorry that I didn't say anything before…But in all honesty, it wasn't my secret to tell. I felt awful about it though. I really did! And once I caught on that my mother was using her secret to her advantage to string you along, I wanted out! I couldn't take it anymore! It wasn't fair; not to you, or to Emily…" 

"You're lucky that I was able to find out the truth and reconnect with your sister then. Did you ever try to reach out to-" 

"No." Charlotte replied abruptly; not wanting her father to know the truth about how she only reached out to Emily for help when she accidently killed her kidnapper…or before that when she tried to burn her alive in the Stowaway. 

"But why-?"

"Why the hell should I?! She didn't reach out to me when she decided to lie about who she was for the past 4 years! I suffered in ways that I never knew was possible, and instead of reaching out to me, she chose her damn vendetta of revenge against my family! And granted after hearing about everything that's happened to her and everything they did to other innocents, they deserved hell from her and in general, but she also punished me in the process when I didn't even do anything!" Charlotte exploded, but choked up as tears started to run down her face. "It didn't have to be that way! She-she could have told me! We-we could have been true sisters!" 

"Charlotte, I know you're upset. And you have every right to be. I know you've been through a lot and I can only imagine the pain you've been through, but I guarantee that Amanda didn't mean for you to get hurt in this. She told me how much she regrets everything and how she didn't wish any harm on you whatsoever. I understand that she just wanted justice for what happened to me, but-" 

"-Well good for her, at the cost of destroying my life! Give the girl a prize!" Charlotte spat. 

"Enough! Like you're innocent in all this?! Don't pretend for a second that your hands are clean! Especially when they're the same hands that called Amanda to assist with an overdose cover up when in fact, it was an accidental murder that never would have happened in the first place if someone wasn't high on drugs and making a fool of herself." 

"…"

"Yeah. She told me everything. She also told me what caused you to be driven to such extremities. I am truly sorry about Daniel…and Declan…and your baby. The loss is immeasurable…But you're not the only one who suffered loss." 

He took her silence on the other line as a chance to keep talking. 

"You lost your love, well so did others; especially Jack and Amanda. He lost his wife, and she lost her fiancé. You lost your baby, well Carl's currently being raised without a mother, and at least you have the possibility of having kids in the future if you want to, that chance was unfortunately taken away from Amanda for good...thanks to your brother…"

"What are you talking abou-wait a minute…The shooting!…I-I didn't realize-"Charlotte gasped softly. 

"-Well when you're so caught up with drowning in your own misery and loss, it's hard to see others' perspectives or know the whole story altogether." 

"What are you trying to say dad? So I'm not the only one who suffered pretty badly from all of this. So that makes everything she did okay?" She sniffed. 

"No. Quite the opposite. Like I was trying to say earlier, the intentions for all of this are justified, but the actions taken are inexcusable. You both are more alike than you realize, even though you had different ways of dealing with pain. You tried to cope with your addiction to drugs, she coped with an addiction to revenge. But either way, it still didn't change the situation. What's done is done. What's lost is lost. And as much as I know both of you want to go back and do things differently and change the past…things can't be undone. The only thing you can do now, is embrace what you have left, while you still have it; which is why…despite everything, I'm asking you to do something that was the hardest thing for me to do, and will be one of the most hardest things for you too. Not even your sister could do it yet, but it's the only way to ever have any hope and I know you're strong enough to do it because I know that your heart hasn't gone completely dark and is still capable of loving…"

"…What is it?" She asked quietly. 

"Forgive…" 

"…"

"I need you to do this Charlotte, for yourself, and for your sister…She needs you now more than ever and I need to know that you both will be there for each other before it's too late and I'm gone…" He finished somberly. 

"Wait-too late for what? And what do you mean, where are you going?" She asked. 

A long pause was heard on his line. 

"…I have lymphoma Charlotte…I'm in the fourth stage, it's already spread in my brain, and…I-I don't have much time…" 

"What?! Oh my g-wh-why didn't you tell me?!" She cried. 

"I'm sorry…I would have, but so much has been happening…You heard about what happened to your sister?" 

"You mean how she killed my mom? Yeah, well if you ask me, I say good riddance! She was nothing short of a monstrous witch!" Charlotte spat bitterly through her tears. 

"She wasn't dead. She faked her death in that fire in order to set up your sister to be framed for murder." 

"…A-are you serious? That…T-that bitch! I have half a mind to come down there and kill her myself!" She exclaimed angrily. 

"That's the thing…Amanda had the same idea in mind and almost went through with it, but there was no way I was going to allow her to cross that line; no matter how justified it seemed, there's no turning back once committing such an act. It's something you live with for the rest of your life; something I'm sure you know."

Charlotte winced at the sudden flashbacks that plagued her mind, but decided to continue the conversation. 

"So…mom got away then?" 

"No. Amanda didn't have the chance to pull the trigger…I did it before she could." 

Charlotte gasped and nearly dropped her phone in the stream. "Y-you?! You killed Victoria?" 

"I shot her, but she didn't die before getting one last shot in." David's voice grew more dejected in tone.

"Oh my go-a-are you hurt?! Did she shoot you?!" Charlotte sputtered in terror. 

"Not me…She shot Amanda…" He choked. 

With all the bitterness she displayed and hostile behavior regarding her oldest half-sister, you'd think the young brunette woman would have scoffed, shook her head, or shrugged it off as karma finally making its appearance where deserved, but this was in no way the case as more fresh tears poured down Charlotte's face. 

"Oh no! Emily!" She sobbed. "I-is she dead?" 

"I-I don't know…I was able to call 911 in time, but…" 

"Wait aren't you with her? Where are you now?" 

A pause followed by a distant siren was heard in the background. 

"There's not much time Charlotte. Your mother posted cameras everywhere to capture the shooting…It's too late for me now. Please promise me that you'll be there for your sister!" 

"I-I..."

"Please Charlotte!" 

"I-I promise, but dad w-what about you?! What's going to happen to y-

"FREEZE! David Clarke, you are under arrest for the murder of Victoria Grayson." 

"Dad?!" 

"I love you Charlotte…" 

After hearing the familiar mumble of the Miranda rights, and the clicking sound of handcuffs, the line went dead. 

End Flashback.

 

"So yeah…I guess in a way, you could say that I'm here because of dad. Once he told me everything that happened…I-I know this is what he wanted. And after everything I put him through, I-I owed him so, here I am." Charlotte rubbed her arm uncomfortably and refused to give her sister eye contact as she explained everything that happened.

Amanda just sighed heavily and shook her head. "It's okay Charlotte. You don't have to pretend. I know you don't want to be here despite what dad said, so-"

"-You're wrong." Charlotte blurted cutting her off.

Amanda blinked at her in confusion.

"Listen…Truth be told, yeah, I'm here to honor dad's wishes, but…that's not the only reason. I-it's probably no surprise that despite everything, I seriously owed you. I mean with the whole O.D. cover up…and the fact that I tried to k-kill you before that…" She swallowed uncomfortably.

"Charlotte…"

"I hated you, you know." Charlotte spat. "I really did. After you told me about who you were a-and the things you did…everything started to make sense. You destroyed my family from the inside-out. And you know what? They deserved it! But why'd you have to make me a casualty in your damn war?! Do you have any idea what I've been through because of you?! How I suffered?! All because of your pointless cycle of hate?!" She nearly screamed.

Amanda winced as she felt tears blur her vision. "I-I know…And Charlotte I cannot begin to describe how sorry I am! If I could go back in time and change-"

"-But that's just it, isn't it?! You can't go back…W-we can't go back! No matter how much we want to, we can't change anything! It won't bring back the ones we love or lessen the damage that's been done!" She cried bitterly.

"And what sucks is that…Y-you were right about what you said before…I-I wanted someone to come and save me from the bad choices that I made…Because I-I didn't want to face the consequences of my actions…At least y-your intentions were just to right wrongs, me? I-I just wanted to escape my problems and choices and I did it in the worst way possible, not caring who got hurt in the process! So as it turns out, w-we're not all that different!" Charlotte sobbed into her hands.

"Char…P-please don't do that to yourself…" Amanda whispered, her voice weak and broken from crying.

"I have done unspeakable things myself you know. Conrad might have been the one to cause the explosion and Declan's death, but had I not been avoiding him, he-he could've still been alive! I-I lost my baby, I ruined a genuine family relationship with Jack, I-I killed someone, and I-I tried to kill you! So who the hell am I to cast stones when I-I'm just as guilty if not worse?!" She cried.

"…Oh Charlotte…"

"I'm just tired of it all! This-this endless cycle of pain and torture and-and hate! It's useless! There's nothing good that comes from it! Even when I found out what happened to you and that there was a possibility you could be dead, I didn't feel relief or solace. I-I felt nothing but regret; because when I look back on it…in a strange way, y-you were always there for me. Even if it wasn't in the way it should have been…You did reach out. And even after I thought you were dead, it still didn't change anything. So what's the point of still hating you? I-I want it to stop! So no, I'm not just here cause dad wanted me to do this…I-I want to make things right once and for all!"

She walked towards her sister who was now sitting straight up in the bed.

"I-I'm not saying that I'm still not extremely pissed off at you, a-and it's going to take a lot for me to forgive you…but-but if that's what it takes to end this pointless war of hatred, then…then I'm willing to try if you are…"

She held out her hand.

"So…What do you say?"

Amanda looked at her sister in complete awe. She saw no trickery this time as Charlotte tried to make amends, but instead, the aftermath of a wounded soul that somehow still had the capability to love and the desire to forgive…Something that she wish she had.

Her father's words rung clearly through her mind.

"All I ask, is that you promise to do the one thing that's been so hard for me to do…Forgive."

And she remembered where she stood on that clearly.

"That was a promise I couldn't keep..."

"I will never accept. And I will never forgive…"

"This is not a story about forgiveness…" 

But maybe that was the key?

She exhaled the breath she was holding in as she looked down to see her youngest half-sister's hand still stretched out for her to take. Once she looked back up into her eyes to find any deceit or hint that this was all a ploy to gain trust, but saw nothing but sincerity, she ignored her outstretched hand and instead wrapped her arms around her in a soft yet firm embrace.

"…Thank you Charlotte…" She whispered gratefully.

"So…how are you feeling? After everything I mean?" Charlotte asked, brushing a strand of hair from her eye as she took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Sore…worried…and confused?" Amanda shrugged and sighed once more as she laid back down in the hospital bed. "You can probably guess what happened to dad, and…it's everything that I wanted to avoid. It's like my worst nightmare happening all over again and I'm…I'm once again powerless to stop it." She mumbled bitterly.

"We'll figure out something…I mean come on, don't you always?" Charlotte hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"…It's not that simple now I'm afraid…It all happened live in front of those damn cameras and…I can't change it; especially when he made the murder evident along with the fact that he did it. I-I just feel like after everything…I failed him…"

"Don't say that." Charlotte commanded firmly.

"And to be honest, I don't even know how I'm alive right now! The last thing I remembered was being blindsided by Victoria when she shot me and-and then nothing…until I woke up here...Then it all came rushing back to me…"

Amanda then suddenly paused as she remembered the muffled sound of a conversation taking place while she was still gaining consciousness. She quickly turned to look back at Charlotte with wide eyes.

"It was you! You saved me…" She breathed in awe.

 

Flashback to a couple of hours earlier.

A completely distraught, exasperated, and livid Nolan Ross ran a hand through his dark, sandy hair as he listened to the physician once again turn down his request to get a status on Amanda. 

"I don't care if you're the one who bought the very foundation where this building stands on! What part of 'family only' do you not understand Mr. Ross?" 

"And what part of I could give a rich rat's ass do you not get doc?!" He snapped back in a spiteful tone. "I told you that I am family! Amanda Clarke is practically my sister! Granted that she's technically from another mister who I'm sure would love to verify this and put your proud, stiff neck in its proper place, but considering the circumstances…I'm the only family she's got right now which fully entitles me to-" 

"-Nothing. Absolutely nothing according to HIPPAA law Mr. Ross. Unless you can get in contact with an actual family member of hers, I am going to keep saying the same thing that I've been explaining that is clearly wasting my time and probably the only coffee break I'm ever going to have today." The doctor dryly and curtly replied. 

Technically there was no issue for Nolan. Not really. I mean give him ten minutes with his cell phone, or five with one of the abandoned computers the nurses were using to surf their Facebook pages, and he would have full access to her medical records, status, and dictations, along with adding himself as power of attorney if he wanted. But considering how it had been nothing short of a stressful day that toiled on his emotions to extreme levels, he settled on throttling the nonchalant physician's neck, but before he could stretch his hands out, a voice broke the tension completely. 

"Then perhaps it would be better if you talk to me." 

"And just who might you be miss?" The doctor asked dryly with a hit of apprehension in his voice. 

"Charlotte Clarke…Amanda Clarke's sister." 

Later…

"Is she going to make it?" Charlotte asked as she watched her unconscious sister through the glass. 

"Time will tell. What she went through was extremely traumatic, but the surgery was a success! Your sister owes you her life." The surgeon replied.

"But she can never know how…Or rather…who…I-I'd rather tell her myself." Charlotte stated not tearing her eyes away from the scene. 

"As you wish. But it's extraordinary we were able to find a match in time. Amanda's heart was damaged beyond repair. If you hadn't volunteered or made calls that led to an accurate replacement option for transplant …"

"It's what my father would have wanted…" She sighed. 

End Flashback.

 

"I guess you can call us even then…" Charlotte shrugged as she turned to her sister. "But, there's one thing I still don't understand…Why were you so upset earlier? I don't think I've ever seen you so distraught..."

Amanda then closed her eyes painfully as she heaved a shaky breath and whimpered.

"Jack..." 

"Jack? W-what about Jack i-is he alright?" Charlotte asked with concern.

Amanda just shook her head, her breath becoming shorter and shorter as she tried to contain her emotions; but to no avail, she broke down once more; intensifying the pain she felt physically in her body and making her wince and groan in agony as a result.

"Amanda? Wha-"Before Charlotte could reach out for her, Amanda's heart monitor began to go off; alerting the medical crew of the sudden disturbance.

"Miss we need you to step outside; nurse, what's her status?" One of the physician's ordered.

"Her heart rate is spiked higher than we'd like. We need to take action now." One of the nurses replied.

Charlotte looked on as she was pushed outside the room; hating the sense of helplessness she felt in that moment.

To be continued.


	4. Reunited

A/N: Guys thanks so much for the read and reviews! I'm happy everyone is liking it so far. Hopefully I'm living up to all of ya'lls expectations! After watching the deleted scenes of season 4 (and crying my eyes out on the Infinity boat scene) I was totally inspired to finish up this chapter. More is to come so please stay tuned. Special thanks goes to my fellow Revenger friend Maria (Maria MB on FB) who gave me some good ideas for this chapter! Oh and also, Jemily authors…I once again encourage everyone to please get those stories out there. I mean everyone's entitled to their opinions and ships and should write freely about whatever they wish for the series…But the latest updates have been all about Victoria…I mean really? Can we give the stories some "epilogue after series" love? Just sayin…

 

Without wasting another moment, Charlotte quickly made her way into the hospital's Intensive Care Unit's waiting room where she found Nolan Ross face down in his lap top. She tapped his shoulder lightly, trying to get his attention, but to no avail, his snoring grew louder. Rolling her eyes, she gripped him by the shoulder and shook him roughly.

"Nolan? Nolan! Wake up!"

The tall blonde shot up in a panic mumbling incoherently until he found the brunette behind him with a confused yet amused expression on her face.

"Were you seriously playing Minesweeper…and beat it…in your sleep?"

Nolan briefly looked down on his computer to see the little game minimized with the smiley face emoji wearing sunglasses at the top, confirming his unexpected victory.

"It's been known to happen sometimes on occasion…" Nolan mumbled sheepishly as he stifled a yawn.

"Like when? When you're bored out of your mind?" She inquired dryly as she folded her arms.

"No me being bored out of my mind would include taking a peek into the C.I.A.'s server and reading their files to see how they're screwing the country over for the fun of it…This is just me being stressed." He replied as he clicked out of the game and closed his laptop.

"So…how is she?" Nolan asked softly with slight hesitation.

"…She's stable. The doctors said that she was traumatized pretty badly, but the surgery was successful and s-she's going to be okay." Charlotte replied calmly.

Nolan then breathed out a huge sigh of relief, thanked god, and flopped back onto the small lounging couch.

"You seem surprised; I would have thought that considering how tough she is, you'd figure she could handle these types of things."

Nolan resisted the urge to glare and scoffed lightly. "Yeah, I think she thought so too…Sharp and tough my Ems may be, but this particular thorn has the heart of a rose. Her resilience isn't all that she makes it out to be…especially when it comes to situations like…like this."

Charlotte nodded and looked down at her feet before speaking softly. "I…I got the chance to talk to her…about everything…"

"And?" Nolan pressed, eager to know how the conversation turned out since he was at first against the idea of letting the youngest Clarke anywhere near Amanda after her stunt from a while back. But due to her being the only lifeline and hope she had along with her surprising offer to make peace after talking to David, he figured a little sister to sister time would prove beneficial.

"And...I think we were starting to get back into a good place…" She smiled faintly.

"Were?" Nolan raised an eyebrow.

"Well everything was going as good as it could go I guess. We were talking about dad and she already seemed so distraught before I even walked in, so I asked her what was wrong and she mentioned something about Jack before she started to freak out and the medical staff came in…"

"Oh Ems…" Nolan whispered as he shook his head in sympathy.

"Nolan…What happened to Jack?" Charlotte asked with concern.

"He…he got stabbed by a merciless assassin during the whole damn hide and seek game with Victoria fiasco…" He muttered bitterly.

"My god…" Charlotte covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes widened and teared up. "I-is he? Is he?" She couldn't finish the sentence.

"He's not dead. He was able to make it through…But I don't think Ems was able to get the memo yet…He was in a critical state by the time she got to him…And…and it really took a toll on her to say the least..." Nolan explained sadly.

"Well…How is he now?" Charlotte sniffed.

"Physically? He's miraculously okay…It's emotionally that I'm concerned about. By the time he was up, he heard about what happened to Emily and…to say that he didn't take it well would be putting it lightly…By the time she was brought in, he literally tried to chase the gurney down…They had to sedate him to keep him calm; but my guess is he's already assumed the worst."

"The way you're saying they reacted you would think…Wait a minute…were they…together?" Charlotte asked curiously.

"I-I'm pretty sure they were! But I don't know for sure…I mean I would hope that they would be, yes! But they've always been…quite complicated to say the least…And I did kind of kill a moment between them recently…But then again since Jack offered to go with Emily to investigate that dead woman, Mary Gains' house…I don't know maybe they had some alone time…She sure acted differently when she saw him in the hospital…And then Jack mentioned about proposing-" Nolan mused aloud.

"-Wait. Okay, I'm lost. Who the hell is Mary Gains? And…hold on a minute? Did you just say that Jack was going to propose to Emily?!" Charlotte questioned, her voice growing louder in shock with each word.

Nolan shushed her by briefly covering her mouth with his hand.

"My, my, my you obviously have a lot to catch up on Charlie…How's about I fill in the gaps sans the risk of us being kicked out of the hospital due to you waking up every patient on every floor except the morgue hmm sounds good? Good."

Nolan ignored Charlotte's piercing glare and ushered her to the elevator, releasing her once they got outside to fill her in on everything that has happened; including the complicated relationship between Amanda Clarke and Jack Porter.

 

"Wow…I always knew that Jack had a thing for Emily…but I had no idea that it was so…deep." Charlotte mused.

Nolan shrugged. "Well he and Ems could probably explain it better than I can, but yeah, they have quite an interesting history…"

"And…to complicate things further…Emily is thinking that Jack is dead, while Jack is thinking she's dead?" Charlotte wondered thoughtfully.

"Well seeing how they were both down for the count before they could find out otherwise, and given their history of finding their significant others in such unfortunate states…One could only assume the worst." Nolan replied somberly.

"So…they have no clue whatsoever that, that isn't the case and that they're both actually alive?" Charlotte voiced her thoughts aloud as a mischievous sparkle lit in her eyes.

"…For the time being, no…What are you getting at?" Nolan raised an eyebrow, slightly frightened by the impish expression on her face.

"I've got an idea!" Charlotte snapped her fingers enthusiastically.

Nolan smiled with fake enthusiasm and raised up his hand before replying. "Give me time to run for cover first, before it all goes up in flames...Again."

"What? You don't trust me?" Charlotte replied, feeling slightly insulted, folding her arms.

"Well seeing how last time your ideas included turning your sister into a sis-kabob, I guess you could say I've developed some trust issues with you around." Nolan countered, folding his arms as well.

"…Okay. I deserved that…" Charlotte nodded. "But like I said, I've given it a lot of thought and I've managed to make my peace with Emily, so of course I don't have any ulterior motive. Besides, I helped save her life. And since I've been here I haven't given you any reason for you not to trust me now have I?"

Nolan clicked his tongue, and nodded thoughtfully. "You make a compelling argument Charlie. Alright, I'll bite. You may proceed with your idea. I'm all ears."

Charlotte whispered her plan in Nolan's ear, making him grin a cunning smile that matched hers with every sentence.

 

Later on…

Amanda Clarke once again adjusted her blurred vision to the bright lights of her hospital room; trying to recollect the events that caused her to black out. Her thoughts were still in a haze, but she remembered her sister and the conversation they had.

She couldn't help but smile a little.

Despite their messy relationship and history, Charlotte somehow found it in her heart to forgive her and make peace.

Forgiveness…

That word seemed so foreign to her; and yet she underestimated the power it held; how it had the ability to pardon and heal the deepest of wounds; leaving behind only the faintest of scars in the form of memories and regrets. Even if it hurt like hell to attempt it…It seemed to make all the difference.

She didn't expect to be forgiven by Charlotte, much more so to even have that family relationship like she had with her before as Emily Thorne…

But forgiveness made all the difference in their relationship.

Just like it did with Jack…

"…Jack…"

Now Amanda remembered everything. She shut her eyes painfully once more as the memories came rushing back to her one by one up until the moment she saw him barely breathing on his hospital bed.

…And presumably his death bed…

Her eyes stung with the familiar sensation of tears, but before she gave in to the abounding sorrow in her heart, she quickly decided that she needed a change of scenery. She needed to get out of there. She didn't know or care where she would go, she just needed to get away from the depressing environment that did nothing but strengthen her despair.

Everything was crashing down all around her like a furious ocean tide…

And she was in the midst of the destruction…

All alone…

She longed to feel safe again…

She longed to be with him again…

After vigorously wiping her oncoming tears away, with great struggle and determination, she managed to rise up out of the hospital bed and limped into a nearby wheelchair. Taking a moment to adjust to the pressure she placed on her still weakened body, she breathed sharply, but then turned to find her cell phone ringing.

Thankfully it was within reach.

She wheeled over to answer it. "Hello? Charlotte?"

"Amanda! Hey, how did you know it was me? Oh wait, duh caller I.D. Well I'm glad I got hold of you. I was afraid you were still out of it…How are you feeling?" Charlotte asked softly.

"Still pretty sore. But I'm managing…I was actually on my way out just to clear my head…" Amanda replied.

"Wait. How do you plan to-"

"-Wheelchair."

"And you're sure that's the safest thing for you to do right now?"

"At this moment, I could care less. I just need a change of scenery…I-I can't go another minute in this type of environment. I need to get away, at least for a moment to clear my head and maybe then I can come up with a plan to save dad."

"Oh speaking of, I've already hatched up an idea for that; and I'm sure it will work in no time."

Amanda raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Charlotte took her lack of response as doubt and sighed. "Look, I can prove that this plan is foolproof and unlike your past endeavors, is 100% legal, but I don't want to talk about it over the phone. There's a pretty cool and secluded atrium garden on the 5th floor of the hospital. If you can make it there and meet me, I'll explain everything." 

"Fine then. I'll be there as soon as I can." Amanda replied. With that, she hung up the phone and wheeled herself out the door.

 

Meanwhile…

A sluggish Jack Porter groaned as he held his head in an attempt to ease the throbbing pain. His thoughts were blurry as he tried to recollect all of the events that took place, but it only worsened his headache. He was pulled from his thoughts, however, at the sound of his cell phone ringing. He checked the caller I.D. and answered it.

"…Nolan?" He inquired weakly.

"Jack! Oh thank goodness you picked up! I didn't know if you were still out like a light or not. How are you feeling?" 

"Like I got ran over by a fully loaded ship…W-what the hell happened?" Jack asked, groaning at the pain of his newly stitched abdomen as he shifted to sit up in his bed.

"…What all do you remember?" Nolan asked seriously with slight hesitation.

"Ugh…I-I'm not sure, the last thing I remember was we were talking…You were telling me about your hand…and that David went after Am-" Jack paused as his eyes widened in horror. "Amanda! Amanda was hurt! She-she got shot! S-she was here! I remember!"

"Yeah…she was." Nolan replied reluctantly.

"Is she-Oh my god…Nolan…Please tell me she isn't-…that she isn't-"Jack couldn't finish the sentence as his voice suddenly grew heavy with sorrow.

"…I'm still getting all the details myself, but…the last thing I heard was that her heart was damaged beyond repair and-Jack?" Nolan paused in his explanation at the sound of silent crying, mumbling, and sniffing.

"No…No…No…Please no…Not her…please not her…" Jack mumbled to himself, sniffing as his shoulders heaved with heavy sobs.

"…Jack…" 

"Y-you don't have to say anything Nolan. I-I think I already know." Jack lamented.

"But Jack-"

"NO! I don't want to hear it okay! I-I-I need to get out of here…" Jack snapped painfully, on the verge of breaking down completely.

"But Jack there's more to the story that you need to know! Just-Listen…There's an atrium garden on the 5th floor of the hospital. Meet me there and I'll explain all the details." 

"W-what's the point? W-what good will it do?" Jack shot back hopelessly, not bothering to wipe his tears away as more threatened to spill from his tired red eyes.

"Please Jack. Y-you have to trust me okay? Please…" Nolan pleaded desperately; dreading the long silence that followed after until the sound of a shaky sigh and sniffle was heard.

"…Fine…I'm on my way now." Jack replied lowly in a near lifeless tone.

Nolan sighed with relief. "Thank you Jack…Everything will be made clear soon. I promise."

 

With great strain, Jack finally made it to the fifth floor and entered the atrium garden; taking his time as he pulled his I.V. pole along with him. On normal occasions, he would of gladly taken in the natural beauty of the garden's design as the sunlight shone through the see through-windows, enhancing the colors and beauty of the various flowers and greenery of the grass and sparkling waters of the fountains; but all he could think about was how the scenery paled in comparison to the beauty of Amanda's smile.

And how he would never see that smile again…

He felt the burning sensation of despair strike his heart once more and tried to push the tears down; at least until he could find a proper place to mourn for his love.

Wrapped in his thoughts, and trying to find Nolan, he failed to pay attention as his back collided against a wheelchair…

Fearing that he could have knocked down someone who was already injured, Jack started to sputter out apologies.

…But he suddenly froze completely once he saw the person turn around…

 

Earlier…

Amanda managed to wheel herself onto the fifth floor and into the atrium garden where there was a breathtaking sight of colorful flowers littering the ground. The grass, though artificial, was lush under her feet, and the giant fountain that brought a sense of serenity as it stood tall in the midst. Nonetheless, admiring the view was the last thing on her mind as she wheeled herself around and about looking for Charlotte in a desperate attempt to occupy her mind instead of mourning the loss of her lover; who she was sure if he was present would appreciate the design of the scenery and share his happiness with her.

She let the tears fall freely as she started wheeling backwards, not paying attention as she collided with what she assumed to be the back of a person.

She turned around to apologize, when she suddenly froze completely once she saw the person turn around…

 

There was complete silence with only the sound of the trickling water of the fountain as Jack and Amanda froze in their places; eyes swollen from crying, yet widened as if they each saw a ghost.

It just wasn't possible…

It couldn't be possible…

Given their histories, they knew what it was like to have their hopes held high only for it to come crashing down…

But there it was…

That sensation burning in their hearts and eyes as they took in each other's appearances.

They dared to hope…

They dared to take a chance…

He was the first one to break the silence.

"A-Amanda?" He whispered breathlessly.

Her eyes widened even more if possible at the familiar sound of his voice that brought comfort to her soul and made her feel safe. She wanted to reply, she wanted to run to him and confirm his soft inquiry, but her words caught in her throat as her breathing hitched.

It was silly really. His name was one-syllable long; and yet she couldn't speak a word. She couldn't catch her breath as her body shook with anticipation and anxiety…and fear.

What if this was a dream?

What if this was yet another mere illusion…

The sudden sensation of a shaky yet soft calloused palm on her reddened cheeks proved otherwise as his breathing grew heavier and gasped with every sensation and touch he made on her face and hair; proving that she was indeed tangible and existent.

She was alive…

Amanda Clarke was alive…

"Y-you're alive…" He breathed as his widened blue eyes locked right onto her widened chocolate orbs. Still unable to fully catch her breath, she managed to nod slightly and reply in the same tone. "S-so are you…"

She then reached out her soft hands and felt every inch of his face from the top of his soft mussed hair, to his rugged stubble.

He was alive…

Jack Porter was alive…

She choked on a sob as she finally managed to whisper his name. She repeated it loud enough to where he was able to hear it and that was all it took for them to completely break their resolve.

Without wasting a single moment, she threw herself into his awaiting arms, stitches on both of their deepest wounds be damned. He wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could muster as they desperately sought to be closer to each other; wanting to make the aspect of space nonexistent.

Their heartbeats were in perfect unison…

No words were needed to be said…

All of their emotions were communicated clearly through the silence of their tears as they simply held each other for dear life; refusing to let go for even a second; worried that if they were to lighten up for even a moment, the blissful reality would prove to be an illusion that would surely disintegrate.

Once comforted by the realization and proof that they were indeed alive and well, they managed to separate by barely a few inches and looked up to gaze into each other's eyes.

There were so many questions that needed to be answered…

So much work that needed to be done…

So many things unfinished…

So many loose ends that needed to be tied once and for all…

But all of that was put on the back burner as Jack and Amanda simultaneously came closer, letting their lips crash softly onto each other's, and steadily deepening the passionate embrace. Within seconds, they were desperately grabbing onto each other, relishing the taste and feel of the other as it confirmed their existence to one another, desiring to be closer than before. The fact that breathing was a necessary part of life was completely disregarded since they refused to break apart for air.

Not even the sound of a distinct throat clearing was enough to tear them apart.

"See? I told you it would work. They're so wrapped up in each other they don't even realize we're standing here." Charlotte smirked with pride as she and Nolan watched Amanda and Jack from afar.

"Well you always did say that you were quite the matchmaker…Guess your ideas didn't crash and burn after all." Nolan replied playfully. "But I have to give you complete props on your other idea with rescuing David. Once the court is informed of his medical condition they will more than likely have no choice but to let him go for medical leave. The idea is genius and yet so simple. So much for creating a second jailbreak scenario…I was actually looking forward to tinkering with the incompetent guards' computers again…" Nolan whined in a playful manner.

"Well, time is running out so we better let those two know what the plan is." Charlotte stated, ready to walk up to her sister only to be held back by Nolan.

"Aw let the kids play for a little while longer Charlie…after all they've been through, they deserve it…" Nolan stated softly, smiling at the touching sight of his best friends reunited once more where they belonged.


	5. Waiting for the right time

A/N: Guys as always, thanks so much for reading and for the reviews! I'm hearing great things about the story so far, and I'm beyond happy, because more Jemily needs to get out in this fandom! Also as a note: at the very end, the dress Amanda is wearing is the same white, wrap around halter one from the season 4 promo and pilot episode where she dominates Victoria's balcony. I loved that dress! Ok, now on with the chapter. Let me know what ya'll think!

 

…It is because of his sacrifice along with the love and devotion of the ones I hold dear, that I see the end of the tunnel in my journey…

Time seemed to fly by after Amanda Clarke and Jack Porter were discharged from the hospital. But not a moment was wasted when they met with Charlotte, Nolan, and Louise to form a plan to rescue David Clarke. Even Stevie Grayson was eager to offer her legal services, in which her skills proved to be their greatest trump card since the judge ruled in favor of a medical leave once thoroughly informed of his fatal illness. But as quick as David's life was saved once he was granted compassionate release, it was just as quick that his life ended once he took his final breath on the porch swing as he watched the white snowflakes mix calmly in the wind near the distant shore on a peaceful winter's day. Even now as the morning sunrise greeted Amanda with its warmth as she yawned from the results of yet another cold and sleepless night, she could not forget the state of serenity that graced her father's demeanor as he spoke his final words…

"Remember how much I love you…Infinity…times…" 

"Infinity…" 

She couldn't help but smile at the memory as she wiped away a stray tear that ran down her cheek. Months had passed since the funeral, and though she was coping a lot better than before, she was still in a time of grieving for the loss of her father; so being sensitive to certain triggers such as flashbacks and memories that reminded her of him came natural. But at the same time, she could not lie and say that it was a repeat of history from the first time she thought she lost him.

Things were different this time.

Every time she tried to embrace the sense of solace she craved for when she visited her father's grave in the past, it only perturbed her further and fueled the flames of rage and retribution within as she failed to gain true closure from his supposed demise.

But now, even though it was a struggle and served as a wound added to the many inner emotional scars that still had yet to fully heal, she welcomed the full stages of grief and the impact that it had on not just her but everyone around her as well. Because it only confirmed the significance of her father and how he was now seen as a respected individual who was innocent all along and a good parent after all, instead of the merciless monster who was better off dead for the downing of flight 197.

She softly grazed her fingers over her infinity tattoo and sighed. Still feeling fatigued and not ready to face the day just yet, she rolled over on the other side of her bed, hoping for sleep to claim her; only to come in contact with a delightful buttery, fruity, and cinnamon aroma along with the sounds of pans clinking.

Confused and slightly alarmed at the disturbance while wondering who the hell was in her house at such an early time, she immediately got up and made her way downstairs quietly, maintaining stealth mode in case she needed to retrieve her gun from the drawer nearby.

Before she could fully open the drawer, however, she heard footsteps come towards her direction.

"Oh good, you're up! Just in time for breakfast."

She turned her head to find her "finally" boyfriend standing behind her with a warm smile and a mixing bowl in hand.

"Jack? W-what are you doing here?"

"Making you breakfast. I used the spare key you keep under the mat to get in. I would have just knocked, but I didn't want to wake you. Anyways, are you hungry? You must be, I mean when's the last time you got to eat a good meal?"

She shook her head. "No thanks…I'm not hungry."

He sighed. "So you've said for the past few days…and most likely your stomach will disagree in 3…2…" He pointed to her stomach, right on cue as they suddenly heard a loud growling sound coming from her abdomen. She blushed embarrassingly, but frowned. "I-I don't really feel like eating right now…"

Jack shook his head at her stubbornness, but did not let up. "I know you don't feel like it, but you still need to. I let you slide for the past few times when I mentioned it, but now I don't want you in a danger zone. You need to eat."

"Jack-"She started in a warning tone.

"-Amanda" He repeated in the same tone as if challenging her as he set the bowl down. "Must you make this a fight so early in the morning? I mean you know I'm right. And besides, you're not really going to let these stack of hard labored pancakes go to waste now are you?"

She opened her mouth to protest once more.

"-Especially when they're blueberry?" He added smugly.

She closed her mouth immediately, raising her eyebrows with intrigue for a moment until she quickly shook herself out of the amusement and was ready to decline his offer again, when suddenly, her stomach growled even louder than before.

Jack couldn't help but smirk in victory.

She then rolled her eyes, putting up one finger.

"One. That's it. Just one pancake and nothing more."

"Fair enough." He put a hand up in surrender, still smirking since he knew most likely that wouldn't be the case.

She brushed past him to make her way into the dining room, when she suddenly paused and gasped; her eyes widening at the scenery.

The table was set beautifully with a freshly pressed light ocean blue table cloth, aligned beautifully with little sea glass shards and white rose petals. The white china, silverware, and wine glasses glimmered in the sunlight that peaked through the windows, and there was a variety of delectable pastries and fruit laid out for the taking with a beautiful bouquet of white roses set as the centerpiece to tie it altogether. She couldn't help but gasp in particular at the single red rose that stood out in the middle of the arrayed white roses.

It was absolutely breathtaking.

"W-what is all this?" She asked breathlessly.

"It's breakfast! I know things have been pretty crazy lately and you've been kept busy with everything so I thought that we could enjoy a nice, quiet little breakfast together…without any chaos for once." He rubbed his neck sheepishly at her frozen state. "I know it's not much…I tried sprucing it up a little bit but-"

Taking in the beautiful scene once more, she shook her head in slight disbelief still getting over the shock. "You didn't have to do this for me Jack."

"I know I didn't have to." Jack said in a playful matter-of-factly tone. "Which makes it a good thing that I wanted to." He gave her a warm smile as he pulled out her chair for her to sit down.

Amanda returned the smile in kind as she took his hand in hers and pecked the corner of his mouth. "Thank you so much. This is very thoughtful of you!"

They both sat down and began to eat while making great conversation and thoroughly enjoying each other's company. The sounds of the soft crashing waves, seagulls cawing, and gentle wind chimes clashing from outside created a sweet melody that magnified the peaceful ambiance. Amanda was especially delighted the moment she took a bite of Jack's pancakes. Her eyes brightened and nearly rolled in the back of her head as she savored the sweet and delectable flavors.

"Oh my go-mm-y-you really made these yourself?" She asked curiously.

He nodded. "From scratch. I remembered how you used to like blueberry pancakes and hoped they would still be your favorite. You really like-?"

"-I love it!" She smiled brightly and continued to eat. Once she was finished with her third batch, she chuckled softly in content and sighed wistfully. "This was amazing Jack…I just wish-I wish we could spend all of our mornings like this…"

Jack then cleared his throat nervously but smiled warmly. "Well…It-it's funny that you mention that because…I was actually thinking the same thing…about spending our mornings like this…everyday…being together…" His hand discreetly started to fidget the small, soft little box inside of his pocket.

She seemed to be listening with great intrigue and a little confusion at his sudden bashful state, but once she glanced out the window, her eyes fell upon the ashes that remained from the fallen castle that was once the Grayson manor. It was so surreal not seeing the all eminent copula balcony in the distance nor the queen of the damned who once dominated its section. Nonetheless, she zoned out as her mind flashbacked to the dream she had.

That awful dream…

"Amanda!"

"Huh?! Wha?!" Her eyes nearly popped out of her sockets as she snapped back into reality.

"Hey are you okay?" Jack asked with concern.

"Yeah…yeah I…I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to space out like that…" She sighed with remorse. "It's been kind of a rough night…"

Jack nodded with understanding. "You want to talk about it?" He asked softly, but with reluctance since he knew how secretive she could be. Expecting for his offer to be turned down at her silence, he was caught off guard when she began to speak.

"I wasn't able to get much sleep last night…Probably none at all…I had this dream. It was more like a nightmare. I was…unconscious at the hospital, it must have happened after I was shot recently…Charlotte was outside of my hospital room talking with the surgeon about my condition and if I was going to pull through. The surgery was successful because of a heart transplant, but she didn't want me to know who she arranged for the procedure…Turns out, of all people it was…" She paused, frowning.

"Who was it?" He asked quietly, still listening, but frowning with concern at her discomfort.

"It was Victoria…Charlotte had Victoria's heart transplanted into me…She said it was what her mother would have wanted…" She grimaced.

Jack cringed along with her at the thought, understanding the horror of the situation. "That's messed up!"

She nodded with disgust.

"I can definitely understand why that would bother you. But it was just a dream right? Charlotte would never do that to you. I mean if you look at it, you both pretty much settled the score and your differences and she eventually made her peace with both of us. Not to mention she despised Victoria as much as we did. So why carry out something that she would want?"

"-I know it's just…" She stated, but sighed. "It's nothing…You-You're right. It's just a dream…It just…got to me that's all."

"Will you be okay?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah…yeah I'm just sorry that I interrupted you earlier. What were you trying to say before?"

"Huh? Oh! Right. I uh-"Jack's uneasiness suddenly returned as he chuckled nervously.

She smiled softly and nodded for him to continue.

"Well…what you just said with wanting every morning to start out like this…I-I feel exactly the same way and I was hoping that you-" He took her hand from across the table, intertwining their fingers while gazing at her with all the love and sincerity he could muster that shone through his azure colored eyes. "…Well that you-"

The sound of her cell phone ringing created a disturbance in that moment.

She tried to wave it off and encouraged him to continue, but every time he tried, the phone continued to ring, declaring that its presence would not be ignored; especially since the number that was calling was marked under an important contact. Finally, Amanda winced and gave him an apologetic smile which he waved off with an understanding yet tight-lipped smile as he nodded for her to answer the call, knowing that the mood was shattered completely.

She sighed and rose up from the charmingly decorated table and found her cell phone. At first she managed to mask her annoyance as she answered the call with an all-business tone, but as the conversation continued, her voice grew with more excitement though she kept it professional. After thanking the caller, she hung up with a look of shock on her face.

"Who was it?" Jack asked casually.

"The head of the Southampton Medical Center Board…They just approved my idea of starting a foundation for research on fighting lymphoma and agreed on the election of naming it after my father!" She explained joyfully, still in awe over the news.

"Amanda that's great!" Jack exclaimed excitedly and hugged her tightly. She laughed victoriously as she returned the embrace whole heartedly. "That's such an honor! I know how much you wanted this to happen. I'm so happy for you…and David would be so proud!" Jack said with adoration, moving a strand of her hair behind her ear. She nodded with a smile as he wiped away the tear that escaped her eye with his thumb.

Before he could kiss her however, her eyes suddenly widened.

"Oh my gosh! I just remembered that he said the celebration would be here tonight! I-I have so much to do! I'm so unprepared! I have to arrange the seating, plan the catering, make a presentation, prepare my speech, and-and!" She sputtered and broke away from his embrace, pacing the floors and running up and down the stairs.

Jack pushed down the brief disappointment he felt and watched her with a look of pure amusement. Usually she would be so calculated, so polished and put together, ready for absolutely anything; mainly because it would all be according to her plan. However, when things caught her off guard, to see her scrambling was rather interesting to say the least. And since the cause was something that was good for once instead of an impending disaster or danger, he found it humorous and dare he say adorable, but held in his chuckles as he shook his head.

She rushed down the stairs now dressed to kill in a beige pantsuit with matching heels as she struggled to clasp her gold necklace around her neck. He motioned for her to come over to him and helped with the task as she put her hair up in a bun.

"Did you want me to drive you into the city to help with the errands?" He asked.

"No, no you've already done more than enough for me! I'm just so sorry we couldn't finish our breakfast. In fact, we never got to finish our conversation either. Real quick, what were you going to say?" She rushed as she grabbed her purse, but turned to face him.

He held back a sigh and shook his head with a smile. "Don't worry about it. It's fine. I'll tell you later."

"No! It sounded important Jack! I can make time. What is it?"

"It can wait. Trust me. We'll talk about it later I promise. You should probably get going before the traffic gets bad."

She gave him a look protest, but sighed as she nodded reluctantly. "I'll…see you tonight at the celebration then?"

"Wouldn't miss it." He grinned, making her smile in return. She then gave him a quick kiss and headed for the door while he turned around to clean up the table.

"And Jack?" She hesitated before leaving.

He raised his eyebrows up at her in acknowledgement.

"…Thank you…For everything." She spoke softly.

He nodded, smiling at her warmly. Even as she closed the door behind her, he couldn't help the feeling of pride and warmth that he felt.

…That is, until he felt a bulkiness that was still in his pocket…

His smile disappeared as he pulled out the small dark blue velvet box and sighed. Tucking it away in his pants once more, he went back to his task of clearing the beautifully set table, feeling the disappointment and regret eating away at him. Once he cleaned up the dining room, he decided to go down to the beach club; hoping that a good drink and his understanding friends would give him a sense of comfort.

 

"YOU CHICKENED OUT AGAIN?!" Nolan, Louise, and Charlotte exclaimed in disbelief.

He was wrong.

Jack sighed in exasperation as he put his head into his hands, not wanting to see the rest of his friends' reactions. Even Bull shook his head in disapproval at the situation as he served him another cold glass of orange juice.

"I don't understand...Your plan was perfect when you told it to us! I should be posting her ring on Instagram right now! What gives?" Charlotte asked incredulously.

"Yeah Jackie-boy! I was sure that your stack of flaps was perfect for setting the mood." Nolan added.

"I'm sorry but are ya'll sayin' that he tried to pop the question to Emily over breakfast? That's a little odd, I mean why not just go for a romantic candle light dinner or do it over a sunset stroll on the beach?" Louise asked.

"He thought the dinner idea was too redundant, and he tried the sunset stroll already. But he got interrupted. Again." Charlotte replied, not missing a beat.

"Why what happened?"

"…She broke down. She was still very fragile over what happened to her father. I had to be there for her through those moments so, I postponed the question." Jack replied somberly taking a sip of his drink while looking at the little velvet box he set in front of him.

"But since she's coping with it a lot better now, he said he was going to try again. And she was in such a good mood lately that I thought this would be the day for sure!" Charlotte whined.

"But still, over breakfast?" Louise raised an eyebrow.

"Well yeah! I mean think about it; the dawn of a new day, a fresh new morning filled with unknown opportunity, even life changing events as the sun rises over the shore. What better way to set the theme for asking the most important question than over the most important meal of the day? And besides, have you ever tasted Jack's pancakes?" Charlotte explained.

Louise shook her head. "No, but Nolan did say they're pretty good. May I?" She asked Jack as she saw that he brought a plate of left overs. Since he didn't feel like eating, he pushed his plate her way, not turning his eyes from the little box.

She took a bite, only for her eyes to widen as she dropped the fork abruptly. "GOOD GRACIOUS IN THE DAY TIME! LORDY THAT IS GOOD!" She exclaimed. "Ya know, if Emily doesn't do anything soon enough, I might just have to take that ring off her hands!"

She eyed the ring hungrily about to reach for it, until Nolan pulled her back, patting her jokingly on the head and wagging a finger. "Settle down there cowgirl, no moving on my brohiem's turf."

"I thought I told you never to call me that." Jack deadpanned, not looking up.

Charlotte then turned to Nolan and Louise. "Guys can we have a moment alone please." She asked politely. They nodded and left the bar, after Nolan dragged Louise away by the arm once more as she tried to take the plate of pancakes with her. Once Jack and Charlotte were alone, she sat down next to him.

"Alright my postponed soon to be brother-in-law, tell me what's going on. What happened this time?" She asked gently, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know, life? Everything was going pretty smooth, but before I could ask her, she got a call from the Southampton Medical Center Board. On the upside, her foundation wishes came true. They're naming it after David just like she wanted." Jack cracked a little smile.

"Yeah, I got her text. That is great news…" She smiled wistfully. "But I still don't get what stopped you from popping the question?"

"Well I mean after she got the call, she realized that she had a lot to prepare since they're holding it at the beach house tonight. She literally rushed up the stairs and before I knew it, she was out the door."

"And she wasn't the least bit curious about what you had to say?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

"Oh no, she was. She wanted me to continue whatever I was going to ask her, but I didn't think it was the right time so I just told her we'd talk about it later and that was it." He explained.

"…You lost your nerve again didn't you?" She sighed.

"What? No, I was really going to do it this time…It just didn't happen…It wasn't the right time."

"So you've said the last time…and the time before that. I mean Jack, what exactly are you waiting for?"

He sighed. "Look, she's been through a lot…There's a time and place for something like…like this. I don't want to rush it…"

"Which is all fine and good, but you're forgetting one thing…You're timing sucks."

Jack frowned in confusion.

"You're saying that you don't want to rush anything; that it's too soon, and that there are so many variables involved...But you're wrong. I mean yes she's been through hell. We all have. And I'm not saying that it's going to be easy for you two…It might even be real damn hard…But she's told me some things…And after what I've heard, from the true story of your history, you guys don't just share a connection, you share a foundation; an unbreakable bond that withstood the tests of time; and it took time to make it strong. You guys have had that bond since you were kids, not just 4 years. So how exactly are you rushing? If anything, you're late and overdue and it's about time you do something about it. Especially now that she's found closure and acceptance with our dad. Her vendetta may be over, but it seems to me that the only thing that she wants to accomplish now, is moving forward and finding happiness...Something that you can give her.

Jack gave her a doubtful expression and looked down, but still took in her words.

"Hey." Charlotte tapped him on the shoulder lightly.

Jack looked up at her, his expression unreadable.

"Remember when I told you a while back that you should stop buying things for a life you don't have and start figuring out how to get it?"

Jack nodded slowly.

"Well this purchase matters…" She said as she held the little velvet box in his face. "It's the key for getting that life…So you need to go for it." She held it out for him to take.

He blinked, but then nodded; gently taking it from her outstretched hand. "Thanks Charlie." He smiled.

She nodded, smiled in reply, and left him to his thoughts.

He looked down at the box in his hand and sighed once more as he tried to figure out a new plan to pop the question.

 

Later that night, the celebration at the beach house was in full swing as spectators, medical board members, and just about half of the Southampton community were present; ready and eager to support the cause, along with enjoying the perks of yet another party in the Hamptons on the first day of Spring; and with the infamous yet now deeply respected daughters of David Clarke himself no less. Seeing all the contributions and the positive responses to the foundation in David's name touched all of Amanda's friends' hearts; and especially Amanda herself as she felt a feeling of accomplishment that went beyond what her takedowns ever gave her. Nonetheless, she still felt overwhelmed under her calm, graceful, and professional demeanor and excused herself to get some air. Charlotte nodded and told her that she could take care of everything from there, but frowned as soon as she left; realizing that there was still something, or rather someone who was missing all of the action.

 

"Damn it!" Jack cursed silently as he stepped on one of Carl's blocks while struggling to button up his dress shirt.

He didn't want to be late to the event, but since Carl's babysitter said she was going to be late, he had no choice but to stay behind to keep an eye on his son. He smiled, but shook his head as he watched the joyful toddler pour out yet another bucket of toy cars and blocks all over the living room floor. Suddenly, he heard his girlfriend's soft voice blaring out from the television set and he sat down on the couch as he turned up the volume. He took in her polished appearance as she gave her speech that was recorded earlier. Not a hair was out of place as it was neatly curled up into a high pinned bun, accentuated with her shimmering make up and jewelry that complimented her high-classed and affluent financial status. She appeared to be perfect and in control like only her Emily Thorne persona could be.

But Jack knew better. She was holding back, or rather, holding it all in.

After receiving a text that the babysitter was finally on her way, Jack grabbed the little dark blue velvet box that he sat on the coffee table.

Only to find it missing.

He then searched frantically for the little box, moving the table, flipping the couch pillows, and checking his pockets; trying to remember where he set it down last.

His mind drew a blank.

Before he could curse in defeat and go into a full panic mode, he heard little footsteps from behind him.

"Da-da?"

He turned around to see his son waddle up to him with his little hands behind his back.

Jack chuckled slightly. "Oh hey there buddy! What have you got there?"

The toddler smiled a toothless smile and babbled as he held the little velvet box out for his dad to take.

Jack then both sighed and laughed in relief as he bent down to his son's level with a joking pointed-look and took the ring from his grasp. "You think I should go for it too, huh little man?"

The toddler simply laughed and clapped with excitement. He then took off running freely around the house.

"I'll take that as a yes." Jack mused as his eyebrows rose in amusement.

 

Once the babysitter finally arrived, Jack wasted no time in rushing to the beach house. He knew he missed out on the speech as he maneuvered his way through the vast crowd with cocktails in their hands and managed to find Charlotte who was conversing with a few locals about the significance of the infinity box. He politely took her aside from the crowd.

"I'm so sorry again that I'm late. I-I had to wait for Carl's babysitter and-"

"-Jack. Breathe. Calm down, it's okay. You already told me and Amanda got your text as well; she understands completely." Charlotte chuckled as she put her hands on his shoulders.

Jack sighed with relief and glanced around. "I haven't seen her around here. Do you know where she is?"

"I'm not sure. She said she needed to get some air, but I'm sure she's around here somewhere…Oh Jack, I'm sorry, but could you excuse me, I promised Amanda that I'd handle things for tonight and the members over there are getting restless from waiting for a grand tour of the house…"

Jack put a hand up and nodded with understanding. "Say no more, I'll let you get back to it."

She thanked him and walked towards the group of members.

"Oh and Charlotte?" Jack called out.

She turned to him.

"You're doing a great job. David would be beyond proud to see how far you've come and what you've accomplished with Amanda."

She smiled brightly and curtseyed jokingly as way of thanking him.

 

Jack then continued to look for his girlfriend. He searched the crowd once more, checked upstairs, and even the porch swing, but to no avail. Making his way further from the house, he walked along the attached beach house dock, feeling a sense of déjà vu, when he suddenly paused as his eyes widened at the sight before him.

There, standing at the end of the dock, gazing out at the ocean horizon, and bathed in the moonlight was Amanda Clarke. Her back was turned to him as he watched her from afar; her long, bright white dress flowing in the breeze, and her once stylish pinned up curls now sprawled out over her shoulders and into the wind. Feeling a presence behind her, she turned slightly and saw him standing a few feet away. He noticed that her jewelry was gone and her flawless makeup was now nonexistent, as the remains were smeared slightly by faint tear stains on her blushed colored cheeks.

And yet she couldn't look more beautiful to him.

In that moment, all of Jack's fears and worries about how everything could go wrong vanished as he watched her hazelnut colored eyes light up. All he could think about was how breathtaking she looked, all dressed in white. And even more so, how such a look would be perfect for her as a bride.

His bride.

As she acknowledged him with a warm and loving smile, Jack returned the sentiment while slipping his hands inside of his pockets, grasping the small and soft textured box.

He thought that maybe, just maybe…for once, his timing wouldn't be so bad after all…

To be continued.


	6. A night with a new infinite promise

A/N: OH MY GOSH YA'LL! I'm so sorry it took so long, but it's finally here! The dreaded chapter everyone's been waiting on! Please, please, please, for my sake, and because it took me like forever to write, cause I wanted it as accurate to character as possible, (while being overly dramatically romantic to feed my own inner cravings of Jemily that should have been in the dang show!) let me know how ya'll like this by reviewing! I admit, I kind of went overboard with feels, but hey! I was deprived from the show, and in the fandom, so sue me! I'm going to keep saying it, we need more Jemily stories! For the ones who took the time to write for the beloved (and endgame) couple, (I'm looking at you karvesprincess) I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Anyways guys, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. For those who think it's too over the top, just remember, they had a rose covered wedding, a puppy for a wedding present, and sailed off into the sunset, if that wasn't Disney worthy I don't know what is! So no judging lol. Just kidding. Ok let's get into this.

 

Amanda's smile continued to grow as Jack made his way over to her at the end of the dock. "Jack!" She greeted softly.

"Hey!" He greeted back.

"You made it." She smiled.

"Yeah. Yeah, Carl's babysitter finally showed. Sorry that I missed out on the big speech though…"

"Don't be. I was a wreck…" Amanda sighed.

"Oh stop it. I caught most of it on TV and from what I saw, you were great…" He put his hand on top of hers. "David would be so proud of you and of how you honored him like that…"

She looked down for a moment in silence, but then slowly nodded. "…Thank you. It…it was hard, but manageable since things aren't the way they were like the first time I thought he was gone…"

He nodded in agreement.

"It's just all so surreal; how everything started and ended…How I went from always wishing that I had the opportunity to say goodbye, only to have him back for a second chance and then wished I never had to say it again…But…fate had other ideas I guess…" She whispered as she felt herself choke up. She whispered a quick apology as she let out a shaky sigh. He put a hand on her shoulder before she could turn away.

"Don't…You've been holding back all day…You can let it out now. It's okay."

"Was I really that obvious?" She asked quietly as he embraced her from behind.

"Actually no. You weren't. But let's just say I've gotten better at reading you and knowing…how it feels when it comes to things like this."

Feeling her breath tremble once more, she turned into his arms and buried her face into his shirt, allowing herself to feel and express the inner burdens of her heart that she had been holding onto all that day. Jack said nothing as he simply held her and watched her shoulders shake silently. Normally it would be considered a cruel torture to watch her suffer with grief and pain, but seeing how she was allowing herself to let go, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief; especially since things were different now.

Of course it did not make the loss any less painful, but at least she finally let herself feel.

Thank god, she was letting herself feel and express…

Jack closed his eyes as he thought about the events that happened not too long ago.

 

Flashback to a few months back.

The news of David's passing took quite a toll on the majority of the group, but none more so than Amanda Clarke. The troubling thing about that, however, was at the time, one could only imagine the impact it had on her, and yet at the same time, one could never tell because she never let it show. 

She refused to let it show, as if she was running away from grief itself, defying the influence it threatened to leave on her once more. 

But just because she demonstrated her flawless veneer of control and stability in the midst of the tragedy, it did not mean that grief was not evident. 

In fact, to him and the others, mainly Nolan and Charlotte, it could not be any more obvious; especially since she was doing everything in her damn power to deny it. 

It showed through her attitude, despite how well she carried herself. She was not ignorant to what had happened. She knew her father had died, that many were in shock despite knowing that it would happen at any time, that her sister needed to be comforted over losing the parent she barely got to know, that there were funeral arrangements that needed to be prepared, and legal documents and taxes that needed to be signed and paid. She knew all the works, and she completed them all, effortlessly, almost systematically. It was as if she was trying hard to steer clear of showing any emotional impact. She closed herself off, shut herself in, and embraced the numbness, thinking that it wouldn't be obvious or affect anyone else. 

But it was and it did.

She acted distant; snapping frequently, barking orders and demands left and right, or she just took it on herself to get things done if it wasn't to her liking. She was also guarded. Although she outwardly showed the grace and beauty of a rose, if anyone got too close, she did not hesitate to show her thorns…

"The Throne bot is back in full force…" was what Nolan said to him at the time. Though he seemed to be joking, he was actually being completely honest as he sighed grimly. "She's in shut down mode…completely. I haven't seen her this bad since she first arrived in the Hamptons hell-bent on getting revenge as Emily Thorne. She's retreated back into that character. She once told me that Emily Thorne was a machine…that she created her as a means to teach herself not to feel…I know she's trying to play it off, but it's only building up inside of her like helium in a balloon. One way or another, it's going to be a nasty pop…" 

Jack and Nolan both agreed that something had to be done. They just didn't know what. Like death, grief comes on its own. Rushing it might make things worse. It was best to let it all ride. She would come to terms eventually. But seeing as the emotional conflict had an effect on everyone, especially Jack, he decided that enough was enough and confronted her. 

It was a few days before the funeral and she had many errands to run. So he was not shocked to find her dressed to impress in one of her expensive pantsuits as her heels clicked with haste to the door, only to find it suddenly open, shut, and lock as a serious and slightly annoyed Jack Porter stood in front of her with his arms crossed, blocking her escape. 

"We need to talk." That was all he said, before she tried to brush him off. But Jack would not budge.

Not this time.

He was not surprised once she put up her defenses, but he was determined to make her face what she was running away from. He called her out on her behavior, though she tried to deny it. Tempers flared, painful words were exchanged, but he still refused to be moved. Finally, he got down to the nitty gritty. 

"You're doing it again. You're so focused on the fight to the point where you can't see what's in front of you or the impact it's having-"

"-Are you saying that I'm not thinking about anyone else?! Have my actions and efforts meant nothing to-"

"-No! Quite the opposite! And that's the problem! You've been so focused on getting everything done for the funeral, and helping or comforting everyone else, but what about you? You haven't even had the chance to take a moment for yourself since David died and it's not only affecting me, Nolan, and everyone else, it's hurting you the most! You need to grieve Amanda. You acted similar when Daniel died, and you cannot deny it and say that this loss isn't taking an even bigger toll on you."

"And what the hell would you know about how I feel or what I'm going through Jack huh?!" She spat without thinking, making them both flinch for a second, but he still refused to back down. 

"You know the answer to that." He answered grimly with slight bitterness. "But like you, I also know what it's like to not properly grieve and give into the darkness. And David did not go through hell and back, reunite with you, and save you just so you could waste away like this! And I be damned if I let you either!"

She was silent as she stared at him blankly, but felt herself tremble. He walked up to her and softened his tone. "You are not alone this time Amanda...You don't have to worry about ever being alone again I promise…I'm here for you. So is Nolan and Charlotte. We want to help you, but you can't hold this all inside..."

He tried to embrace her, but she flinched away from his touch. "And what makes you think THAT I want to grieve huh?! Ever think that maybe I'm better off not feeling anything?! For your information, I want this! The numbness I feel is a comfort compared to giving in! I won't do it! Not again! It's worst enough I've had my fair share of grieving from losing everyone I've ever loved for the sake of my father, but now that he's gone again I…I won't do it…I won't feel that hopelessness again…I refuse! DAMN IT I've felt it all these years, once in sorrow because I was brainwashed into thinking he never loved me! Then again when I realized that he did and he was taken from me! And now you expect me to give into that despair again?!" She exploded. 

Jack was silent with a look of remorse in his eyes. He wanted to say something to comfort her as he now saw that her stony expression changed with a look of desperation and utter despair as she heaved heavy breaths and her body trembled. Before he could say anything, however, she felt the burning sensation of tears stinging her eyes and she cursed under her breath, demanding for Jack to back away from the door. When he shook his head and attempted to take the trembling woman into his arms once more, she froze momentarily, wanting to burry herself into the comfort of his embrace, but she suddenly felt a wetness on her cheeks. She then cursed once more as she abruptly broke away from his embrace, roughly shoved him off of her, and rushed out the door. 

She ran fast and hard on the shore as she tried to stop the tears from pouring down. But all she could think about was her father. 

"You know how much I love you Amanda?" 

She ran faster. 

"I won't risk losing you like that Amanda…" 

"You are capable of so much…"

She didn't bother to take a breath as her heels continually kicked up sand as she ran harder…

"I'm so very proud of you…" 

"How did you learn to fight so hard?"

One of her heels snapped as she felt herself stumble, completely off balance, knowing that she was going to plummet into the sand…

"You devoted your life to saving me…It's my turn…"

…Only to be caught by a pair of strong arms. She looked up to find a pair of striking blue eyes and was caught off guard at the compassion and empathy that they held as they glistened slightly with held back tears. She let the memories consume her…

"This chance to get to know you this year…The amazing woman that you've become has made me feel like my life is complete…I can die a happy man…"

"…Remember how much I love you…Is infinity times…"

"Infinity…" She whispered. She continued to gaze into the pair of ocean colored orbs as her chestnut brown ones watered. "I-I'm sorry…" She mouthed as her voice got caught in her throat. Jack only shook his head and pulled her closer to him, burying his face against her neck. "Jack…" She whimpered once more. He pulled away slightly to look at her in acknowledgment. "He…he's gone Jack…He's gone for good this time…" And with that, Amanda Clarke finally allowed herself to break down as she fell to her knees on the shore. Jack fell down with her as he rocked her back and forth, not caring that the waves were crashing and soaking them both as the tide rolled in. 

End Flashback.

 

Snapping out of his trip to memory lane, he turned his eyes to Amanda who was now standing right beside him, looking at him inquisitively.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

He gave a simple nod as he smiled mildly. "I'm pretty sure I should be asking you that question instead of the other way around."

She returned the little smile and shrugged lightly as she thought about how to respond. "I'm…managing everything better than I was before…" She went silent for a moment and continued. "…Thank you Jack…for being there for me all that time and putting up with…everything. I know that I wasn't the easiest person to be around but-"

She paused as she suddenly felt the comforting touch of his hand on her bare shoulder, stroking her skin lightly with his thumb. "Don't worry about it. I told you that I'd be there for you and that you weren't alone. Besides, putting up with your stubbornness is what I signed up for." He joked with chuckle as she rolled her eyes and lightly bumped up against his shoulder, chuckling softly along with him.

 

A little farther off the shore, Nolan Ross took a slow sip from his glass of chilled champagne as he walked calmly on the beach watching the waves crash and sparkle under the moonlight. Things were finally settling down at the beach house as Charlotte proved to surprisingly be one hell of a hostess, but it wasn't the same without his two best buds around to keep him company, so he decided to see what they were up to, only to become distracted at the spectacular beach view. Just before he could pull out his phone to take an impressive selfie, his eyes fell upon two figures standing on the beach house dock. Though they were a little far away from him, Nolan did not miss the tender smiles on their faces as they talked away. He smiled warmly, giving an inward cheer for the both of them, until his smile turned into a malicious smirk as his eyes sparkled mischievously. He pulled out his phone once more, swiping away, until he put the phone up to his ear and walked away from the scene.

"Cory! My man! Nolan Ross here…Remember that favor you owed me a while back when I hacked into your Harvard school account? Well I'm calling to collect…You wouldn't happen to still be in the pyro technician business would you?"

 

Once the couple got their laughs under control, Jack cleared his throat. "But in all seriousness Amanda, I'm just glad that you've found a way to cope better than before…I know how hard it's been for you, especially with tonight…So even if you had to have a moment of weakness, I completely understand…"

She went silent for a moment before turning to face him. "…That's the thing about it Jack, I didn't break down tonight just because I felt sorrow…I mean yeah, it still hurts to know that my dad is gone, but this time it was different…I cried because I felt an overwhelming relief…Like everything I ever wanted for him, for the world to know about who my father truly was, and what he was like…It actually happened. I finally completed my goal. I know my initial purpose was to clear his name, but after it had been degraded for so long, even in the time when I believed the lies along with the world, what I really wanted afterwards, was for everyone to know the truth of the man he really was…What he meant to me…Now that they do, I just feel like a huge burden's been lifted off of me. It's like I can breathe again…" She exhaled a breath. "I can live again…"

Jack couldn't help but smile warmly at his girlfriend. He knew that after all the years of thinking that her father was dead and the regret that she carried upon her like a curse as she tried to salvage what hope she had left, she found something that she never did in the past.

Closure.

Along with the satisfaction of knowing that her father loved her and was proud that she was his daughter, as she was that he was her father, despite the hell they have caused and have been through.

As long as she held onto that infinite promise of love, he knew that she was going to be okay.

"It sure is nice out here tonight isn't it?" She breathed as she gazed up at the moon.

"Yeah…brings back memories…" Jack replied, as he directed his gaze up to the sky.

"It does…" Amanda replied wistfully with a hint of regret as she looked down. She hesitated a little, before taking a deep breath. "…You were never alone in how you felt Jack…" She uttered quietly yet firmly.

He looked at her with slight confusion.

"That time…when we were standing here in this very spot under the fireworks…and everything that you said to me…I wanted to tell you so badly that it made perfect sense…because I felt the same way. I always have…That's why you were never alone in how you felt. But…I couldn't…There was so much at risk and I-I-just wish I could have…I mean, I know I should have-"

"Hey…" He put his hand on top of hers as it rested on the dock. "We're here now…That's all that matters."

She looked into his piercing azure colored eyes, as she nodded confidently, intertwining their fingers. Though he almost lost himself in her eyes, he was mindful of the little box that was still weighing down his pocket. He figured that there couldn't be a better time, so he started off with a simple question.

"So…" Jack breathed deeply, hoping that it would hide the sudden nervousness that creeped upon him again. "I guess now the big question is…what do you think is next?" He wanted to kick himself for asking such a vague and complex question as he watched her eyebrows furrow in confusion, before she suddenly let out a tiny yet scoffing chuckle, looking straight out into the horizon.

"Believe it or not, I didn't exactly plan that far. To tell you the truth, I never even expected to have this moment where I actually have the ability to think about what comes after…Or what I'll do next. Or who I'll become…I had a few plans, but…they all backfired…in more ways than one. It was so much easier to predict things I could control; especially as Emily Thorne since I could make her into anything I wanted without limitations…But now that it's all over, I have no clue what to do next as Amanda Clarke…mainly because…after everything…I have no idea who she is anymore…" She whispered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I do…" Jack responded.

She turned to look at him with a questioning expression.

"She's the daughter of David Clarke; a man who had a good heart, even though he put his trust in the wrong people and suffered hell for it and made mistakes, but was willing to do anything for his daughter in the end. She was the little girl who was happy and lived in a beach house with her father and puppy, Sammy, wishing that nothing would ever change, only for tragedy to change her forever. She was lost and alone, doomed to have the world against her until she found out the truth, then she became a woman with one sole purpose to payback the wrongs that were done to her and her family."

She blinked, but continued to listen.

"She's the woman that made lives better and worse at the same time; destroying lives, yet saving them at the same time. She befriended someone that had everything he could ever want, but just wanted friendship most of all, she was the only family that the real Emily Thorne ever had and allowed her to have her own, she changed the lives of the people she ended up loving and caring for a great deal, like Aiden, Daniel, and Ben…She ended up being the big sister of a young woman that no longer lives a cushy lie of a lifestyle, even though she helped dismantle it. She helped save a lot of people who couldn't save themselves, and punish them at the same time, but knew her limits. She's the woman who was willing to go above and beyond for the ones she cared about. She cleared her father's name and got that relationship she had always wanted with him again. She's got a dark side, and a light side. She can be bad, and she can be good."

"But…Jack…All that majority was Em-"

"-Emily Thorne. I know. You're right. But they're one in the same."

She thought about it deeply for a moment before she nodded in understanding and acceptance.

"…And…as for who Amanda Clarke is to me specifically…She was the best friend that I ever had…She was my first love, before I even knew it. She was the girl that filled my summer with adventure and who trusted me to take care of her dog when we were separated for a long time…She's the woman who took on a new identity that was mysterious, but always kept me guessing; always kept me feeling like there was something about her that was familiar, but that Sammy always knew from the start."

They both smiled sadly at the mention of their beloved Sammy.

"She's the woman that helped make my life a living hell…And yet, also like a dream come true, when I didn't even have much of a life to begin with…She's the woman that I named my boat after at the time, the woman who kept her promise as a little girl when she said she'd come back…Even if it was twisted in how she did it…She's the woman that kept me from making a grave mistake…She's the woman that I never thought I could forgive after everything she's done to me, but that I did eventually since I cared a lot about her, and kind of understood what she was doing in a way. She's my son's godmother, who I know will look up to her a great deal in the future…And like I said before, she's the toughest, most annoyingly bullheaded person on this planet, who's saved my ass a few times, like I've saved hers."

She nodded and smirked in agreement.

"And most of all…She's the woman I could never let go of, no matter how many times I wanted to, or was told to, or was convinced to because she's the woman that I've always loved ever since we met in Montauk, and even more so when Sammy found her that day in the park. And like I also said before, despite everything we've been through, and even though we both don't know what the hell the future will hold for us, the one thing that I know about Amanda Clarke is that, she's the woman I love and always will."

"Jack…" She smiled tearfully as she threw her arms around him, and closed her eyes in content not willing to ever let go, as the warmth, truth, and love of his words washed over her like an ocean tide.

He wanted to return her passionate embrace, but knew he needed to continue before he lost his nerve.

He took a shaky breath.

"…And….hopefully…she'll be the woman whom I'll spend the rest of my life with…if she says yes?"

Amanda froze suddenly as her eyes widened at his words. As if in a trance, she watched him kneel down before her on one knee.

"I know…that it's never been easy for us; and that's putting it lightly. And I have no doubt that there will be even more complicated messes down the road for us to deal with, but that's what life is sometimes. It's complicated and messy. But through the good times and bad times, I want to be with you. I want you by my side. I love you Amanda and I can't imagine my life without you. Not again. We've waited for each other over twenty something years…Now I believe that this is our moment…"

He reached for the little velvet box in his back pocket and popped the box open to reveal a stunning, simple, yet elegant gold ring encrusted with small diamonds on the sides and with a beautiful larger shaped diamond in the center.

She gasped as her hands flew over her mouth, and her eyes widened even more and filled to the brim with a new onslaught of fresh tears.

He gazed into her glistening eyes and felt his own burn with emotion. "Amanda Clarke…will you marry me?"

She was speechless.

She didn't know what to say, or think, or do.

It was as if she was frozen on the spot with only the tears that escaped her eyes and ran down her cheeks as the only thing moving, along with the rapid pounding of her heartbeat.

"If it helps, I already got your dad's okay." He chuckled nervously as if to lighten the mood and his nerves for the moment.

Tears continued to stream down as she continued to stare at him in wonder.

He inwardly gulped.

Finally, she opened her mouth, trembling all the while. "Oh my go-i-is this real? Is this really happening right now? D-did you j-just ask me to m-marry you? A-after everything I've done…Y-you want to marry me?" She stuttered and rushed in uneven breaths as she failed to overcome the shock.

"This is real. It is happening, and yes I do…More than anything." He replied sincerely.

For so long, ever since she was a child, she imagined and dreamed of this very moment...

Every time Nolan teased of it being a possibility, and despite her attitude of nonchalance, she had always hoped…

When she watched her fantasy unfold with the woman she considered to be like her sister at the time, she remembered how crushed she felt as her dreams were swept away like the oncoming tide that she stood nearby on the shore…

She never imagined that an opportunity would come around again…

A second chance…at true happiness…

Her mind flashbacked to Nolan's question that he asked a year ago…

"What's the first thing you think you'll do as Amanda Clarke?" 

For the first time in what seems like forever…She finally had an answer.

"Yes!" She softly spoke in a voice that was just above a whisper, but was loud enough for him to hear as she nodded her head while sniffing lightly.

Jack did a double take.

"W-wait what? What did you say? Y-you said yes?"

She couldn't help the beaming smile that stretched across her face as she kneeled down to his level, cupped his face in her hands, and repeated her answer with confidence.

"Yes, Jack Porter, I will marry you!"

Jack's smile matched hers as he chuckled in pure happiness, not caring about the tears that were evident in his eyes. They both stood up together and Jack tenderly took her hand in his as he gently slid the ring onto her finger. Amanda marveled at its beauty as she held it up and watched it dazzle in the moonlight.

"My god…Jack's it's…I-I don't even know what to say…" She gasped breathlessly.

Jack shrugged lightly with a smile. "Well I think it's beauty lacks a bit in comparison to you but I'm glad that you like-

"-I love." She slid her arms from his chest to around his neck, bringing her face closer to his. "And I love you Jack Porter…"

"I love you too Amanda Clarke…" Jack replied lovingly as he felt her warm breath on his lips. Before they could seal the engagement with a searing kiss, they abruptly jumped apart at the sudden booming sound of a loud crackle and pop that sounded off from up above them.

They looked up to see the variety of dazzling spring theme colored fireworks bursting and sparkling throughout the night sky. They stared, mesmerized at the spectacular display before they shared a knowing look, shook their heads in disbelief and awe, but smirked as they muttered in unison.

"Nolan."

They shared a brief laugh before they collided in each other's arms and kissed passionately like never before, silently thanking their best friend for recreating that fateful night that once, was filled with regret, but now was filled with a new infinite promise...

…And somehow, amidst the two graves, I've come to a realization…

… Life still awaits me…


	7. Epilogue: What goes around

A/N: Okay guys! This is the final chapter to my story! Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review! Don't think it's over though! I got a bunch of ideas for Jemily to grow the beloved couple in the fandom! I'm even up for collaborating! Anyways, special thanks goes to InfinityXInfinity777 for helping me name the adorable puppy that Amanda gave to Jack as a wedding present! If I get enough reviews maaybe I'll do a sequel to this! Anyways long live Jemily guys!

 

I consider myself lucky…Most morality tales don't have a happy ending. For some reason karma saw fit to spare me…but not without leaving deeply etched wounds…

Engrossed in her writing, the woman once formerly known as Emily Thorne a.k.a. Amanda Clarke, now known officially as Amanda Porter paused for a moment as she reflected on the deepness and reality of her last sentence that she had just written. It was no doubt that the road of vengeance she once took led to no end except to the destination of death itself. And her journey left quite a body count. She sighed as she thought about all of the loved ones she still cherished deeply in her heart and how they became unfortunate losses caught up in the fray of events.

She thought of her father…

She thought of Aiden…

She thought of Daniel…

She thought of Declan…

She thought of Emily…

All of the people she came to love and that left an impact on her life that she never thought she'd have all meant something to her…Truly they were like scars that although eventually healed, would never fade away.

Gone and yet never forgotten.

Along with those losses, she thought of another price that she unfortunately paid; a great and deeply desired opportunity that was cruelly taken away from her and led her to mourning loved ones that she had never even met nor would she ever get the chance…

Children of her very own...

She sighed shakenly as she gently put a hand to her stomach in longing.

Yes, karma made its statement in the many etched wounds it left behind on her. But as high as the cost was, she could not deny that the gain was also commensurate.

The Graysons were gone for good…

Justice was served on many peoples' parts…

The dead were honored…

She achieved so much than just the satisfaction of clearing her father's name. She got the second chance of a lifetime to be his devoted daughter again…

She got the second chance to be the sister she'd always wanted to be…

She formed everlasting and unbreakable bonds with friends that were now like her family…

And she gained a family of her own, that although was considered blended, was the very definition of completion for her.

She couldn't help but smile at the thought of her loving husband and little Carl…

"Mom?!" 

"Well…maybe not so little anymore." She thought as her smile grew at the faint sound of her stepson's voice.

Looking back at it all, she concluded that it was all so bittersweet…and yet so worth it in the end.

She picked up her pen once more as she pondered what to write. Remembering Takeda's ultimate rule to never speak of the journey or mission once completing it, she found out that holding it all inside only made things worse as the dreams and presence of Victoria Grayson still tended to haunt her from time to time. Inspired by her father, she decided to keep her own chronicles of her long and difficult journey in journals of her very own in the infinity box that he restored for her.

"Mom?!"

Still absorbed in her thoughts, she relished the motherly title he gave her as it reached her ears once more, filling her with a warmth that deeply touched her heart and made her appreciate every moment.

Especially since such a moment did not come easy…

 

Ever since she deemed herself the godmother, Amanda Clarke felt a connection to the little bundle of joy that was Jack Porter's son. She had her own little special bond with him in the quiet moments when she was not caught up in her various plots and plans and even when his actual mother was alive. But as time passed on and welcomed her with the opportunity to spend even more time with him as his new stepmother, she found his innocence to be very refreshing, and she was almost caught off guard with how amazing it was to care for him, to bond deeper with him, and to love him.

As if he was her very own…

That was what got to her.

She felt guilty since she knew that, that was not the case at all. Carl had a mother, and as much as she wished it could be, it was not her.

His mother was the real Emily Thorne; the woman that was like a sister to her and was someone she and Jack once loved dearly.

But she was gone now…

Not that Carl knew at the time. He was just an innocent baby boy clinging onto the love that his father, Charlotte, grandmother, Amanda, and others gave to him.

As long as he had that comforting and lasting love, he would be alright.

At least that's what she and Jack were thinking.

But as he grew, little Carl Porter was very intelligent for his age. Not only that, he was also very blunt, curious, and impulsive; a quality he gained from his mother that made him almost a replica of Jack's dearly departed brother. As soon as he turned six years old, he started asking innocent, abstract, and simple yet deep questions about life, death, and about his mother based upon some rather nasty rumors that he heard from others at school; from both kids and adults alike.

And so the controversy began.

Amanda's marriage in general was beyond every expectation she could have ever hoped for since she was a child. However, it was far from perfect. Many times there were rocky and bumpy moments that she and Jack went through as like with any other married couple would have had to endure, but deciding what was best for Carl to know about his life history was especially a sore spot.

Being ever the protector, and not wanting to think about the pain of the past, Jack wanted to keep things simple with the "here and now" for his son and keep the details of the tragic events of the past from Carl until he was old enough to grasp it, not wanting to taint his innocent and bright childhood with darkness and burden him just yet.

Although Amanda agreed on leaving out the gruesome details and conspiracies, she still felt that Carl was not only smart enough to know that there was more to the story, but that he had a right to at least know what happened to his mother, and tried to remind Jack that both his father and mother did the same thing to him in keeping secrets that he did not even get to find out until he was an adult. She insisted that it would only make things worse as he got older, drawing from her own experience from when she found out that her mother was not dead, but being unable to truly connect with her like she wanted to.

Nonetheless, the couple remained stubborn and butted heads for quite a while. But once Carl found pictures of him and his mother when he was a baby and started asking more questions, the jig was up. The couple had to come to a compromise. Though they left out the details, they tried to be as honest and literal as they could to the little boy as they answered his questions in a way that was appropriate to his age level, knowing that he would most likely be more curious in the future, but understood the answers given for now. His questions to his father then shifted into concerns about stability and security such as "Are you and Amama (Amanda) gonna die too?" and "Who's gonna' be my mommy now?"

The couple tried to reassure Carl as much as they were able. So far, he came to the understanding that daddy was not going anywhere anytime soon and that he and Amama would always be there to love and take care of him no matter what, and that if anything did happen, other loved ones would help take care of him. But the latter question still remained in the little one's mind since it was not confirmed…

It was not that Amanda did not want to fulfill the role. Far from it! In fact, her relationship with Carl was so deep, she already treated him as if he was her own son and it greatly helped fill the void that she was cursed with since she could not bear her own offspring. There was certainly no opposition or protest from Jack's end, as he was happy that his son had a sense of stability. But even he could tell that something was holding Amanda back from claiming the motherly title as she would not hesitate to correct Carl every time he got close to calling her "Mommy".

Amanda smiled once more when she thought about the day that all changed.

 

Flashback to a few years back.

It was a warm summer day and Amanda and Jack agreed to stay a little while in the beach house for the summer as a way to keep up tradition and maybe start some new ones of their own while visiting their friends in the Hamptons. The sun shined brightly in the sky, preparing to dip into the form of a breathtaking sunset as the evening approached. Amanda strolled along the shore until she paused to bury her feet deep into the sand, looking towards the ocean's horizon as she embraced the warmth of the water's rolling tide over her ankles as her father once taught her long ago. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she nearly missed the whimper of the little boy that stood a few feet behind her and shivered. 

"Carl! Hey buddy! Come on in! The water feels great!" She smiled at him. 

The six year old vigorously shook his head in response. "Uh-uh! It's too cold!" 

She giggled. "Aww no worries! I've got a special trick that'll make the water feel really good; want to see?" 

He looked contemplative for a moment as he looked at the chilling waves, but then looked back at her and nodded shyly. She reached for his hand and guided him to the shallow end of the shoreline. 

"Ok, right now the water feels really cold huh?" She asked. 

He nodded once more and wrapped his arms around himself, shivering dramatically. "It's fweezing!"

She chuckled in response. "Ok what we're going to do is bury our feet really deep in the sand, as deep as you can and stay still. When the water rolls in, it's not going to be as cold. Then, you know what's going to happen? It's going to feel warmer, and warmer and then you won't feel cold at all!" 

"Weally? Are you sure?" He raised an eyebrow in suspicion. 

"I'm positive. Do you trust me?" Amanda asked. 

The six year old nodded once more with a smile and grasped her hand tighter. 

"Ok. Here comes a wave now! Ready?" 

He clenched his eyes shut dramatically and braced himself. "I-I'm w-weady!" 

"Ok! Here it comes!" Amanda smiled. 

The waves then crashed softly over both of their ankles, making Carl squeal at first, but then laugh in pure delight. "It worked! It's not fweezing anymore! How did you do dat?" He asked with excitement and wonder. 

"It's a special trick that my daddy taught me." Amanda smiled. 

"Gwandpa David?" Carl asked innocently. 

Amanda hesitated for a moment, but then nodded with a bright smile. "Yeah…Grandpa David. He taught me that when I was a little girl. But you gotta' keep it a secret okay?" She bent down and whispered playfully in his ear. 

Carl chuckled and nodded. 

"Oh there you both are!" 

Amanda and Carl turned to see Jack greet them as he came towards their direction. "What are y-GAH!" He flinched as he felt the cool tide crash over his feet. "Okay. I don't know how you both can stand this water! It's freezing!" He winced as he shivered, making Amanda and Carl laugh in response. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. 

"Should we tell daddy?" Carl asked. 

"Nah, daddy will be okay." Amanda smirked playfully. 

Carl then continued to laugh joyfully as more waves rolled in. "That was fun! Thanks mommy!" 

Amanda froze and winced. 

"Umm…You mean Amanda? Right Carl? M-my name's Amanda remember?" She corrected him softly. 

Carl did not seem satisfied and tugged on the hem of her summer dress. "But…but I wanna call you mom! Can I call you mommy? Pwease?" 

She hesitated once more until Jack intervened. "Hey buddy, why don't you go check on Uncle Nolan and Skipper for a moment. Amanda and I will be right back okay?" 

"Kay daddy!" Carl exclaimed, excited at the mention of his favorite uncle and his dad's dog as he ran into the beach house. 

Once they were alone, the couple continued to saunter along the shoreline until Jack broke the silence. "So…you two looked like you were having fun." 

"Yeah…we were." She smiled slightly. 

"…And…He called you mommy…" Jack started. 

"Yes, but don't worry I corrected him so he didn't get the wrong idea." She replied seriously. 

"…You know I don't have a problem with that right? I mean, I know we never really discussed it, but I honestly don't mind if he calls you that…If anything, it makes-"

"-Things harder. That's what it makes Jack. I don't want him to get mixed up and neither do you so you don't have to act like you're okay with it. I understand." She cut him off briskly, yet sadly.

"Amanda-" 

"-I don't want him to feel like he's forced to do it just because I'm your wife." She continued. 

"-Wait? What? Why would you feel like he's being forced? He's the one that wants to call you that of his own free will in the first place so why-" 

"-He doesn't have to call me that! H-he has the right to call me Amanda or whatever he wants that isn't that…He doesn't have to feel forced to accept me! I-I don't want that…" She choked up slightly. 

"Ok. Where the hell is this coming from? No one's forcing him to do anything Sweetie! Why do you feel that wa-"

"-Because that's what my dad did to me with Victoria when I was little!" She exclaimed. 

Jack blinked with slight bewilderment.

"…I told him I didn't like her…I told him that she hated me…I told him to tell her to go away…that she wasn't my mom…And…instead of listening to me…He…he said that my mother was dead and that I had to accept Victoria because we were all going to be a family even though she already had one…I…I felt so betrayed by him in that moment…And even though she did love him…she sure didn't give a damn about me! I know she didn't. And I sure as hell didn't give a damn about her either. She ruined my life…But once upon a time…He actually thought to make her my new mother! Had that have happened…I would have hated her and been unhappy forever…I-I-I don't want th-that to happen with Carl….Not to him…Not with me…" She explained quietly in a broken tone, while shaking her head, trying to keep herself from breaking down.

Jack grabbed her roughly by the shoulders until she was facing him; not enough to cause pain, but enough to get her attention. 

"Amanda Clarke-Porter. Listen to me. And you listen good. What happened to you back then was terrible and I can relate because I know what it was like to not have that genuine love from a supposed blended family as well, but damn it, I've said it once and I'll say it again. You. Are. Not. Victoria! She did nothing to help you when you were little! You're right, she didn't give a damn about anything but her own happiness! But that's exactly what sets you apart from her! You do care! You don't just care about me, you care about Carl and his feelings too! You always have! I can tell that you love my son and that's okay! You may not be his biological mother, but you play the role of someone important in his life and he looks up to you! You don't have to be ashamed of that! I can tell that you want this, so embrace it! I want you to! And…I know Emily would want you to as well…After all…that's what you promised her wasn't it?" 

Amanda reflected back on the promise she made to Emily Thorne. 

"Jack…and my baby…I need to know that you'll take care of them…Give me your word…"

"I promise…"

"Amanda. I meant what I said. I'm okay with him calling you mom. As long as he knows who his actual mother was, how special she was and what she meant to us, and we keep those memories alive with him, nothing will ever take that away from him nor replace it. But don't think that there's not enough room in his heart for you either." 

Amanda sniffed, but nodded slowly.

Jack took her hand. "You're not being forced into anything either though. I don't want you to feel that way. If you don't want him to call you-"

She grasped both his hands in hers. "- But I do! I really do though. I-I love him Jack. I always have even before the day you placed him in my arms for the first time…"

Jack smiled. "Well…Great! Now just…tell him that." He nodded his head towards the six year old as he came outside once more chasing the light colored Labrador retriever. She made her way to the little boy as he tried to find a good throwing stick. 

"Hey buddy!" She greeted softly. 

"Hi momm-oops…sorry. I mean Amama…" Carl replied quietly. 

She bent down to his level and gently put both her hands on his shoulders. "It's ok Carl…if you want…you can call me mommy." She smiled. 

"I-I can?! Weally?!" He exclaimed, eyes lighting up with excitement.

She chuckled slightly but nodded. "Only if you're absolutely sure that's what you want." 

He nodded vigorously. 

"Well…okay then!" She laughed tearfully, turning to her husband who just walked up to them. "Looks like my new name's mommy!" 

Jack smiled brightly at his wife and son. 

"This is awesome! It's like I got two mommies!" Carl exclaimed with excitement and pulled out his mother's necklace that his dad and Amanda gave to him to keep in loving memory of Emily. He hugged it to his chest. "One mommy…" He started and then ran into Amanda's arms to hug her. "Two mommy!" He repeated the process then ran off into the house screaming, "This is the bestest day ever!"

Jack and Amanda laughed in unison at the boy's antics but felt the same way. 

End Flashback.

 

Amanda then reflected on how she and her husband made her motherly status official by filing and finalizing her stepparent adoption of Carl. She couldn't be any happier with her blended family. The urgent and anxious voice of her son, however, broke her out of her train of thoughts.

"MOM?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"I'm in here Carl!" Amanda finally called out, once she realized she forgot to respond.

"WHERE'S HERE?!"

"I'm upstairs in the bed-ah!" Her response was cut short as she was suddenly bombarded by a medium sized, scruffy Labrador retriever as he barked and licked her continuously.

"Skippy! Skippy! Okay! Okay! Down boy! It's good to see you too!" She giggled, trying to settle her husband's dog.

"Oh! There you are! Skipper must have found you!" A nine year old Carl Porter smirked as he watched his adoptive stepmother wipe off the dog's slobber on her face with a nearby towel.

"Hey!" She greeted. "What are you doing here? I thought you and your dad had a game tonight?"

"We did, but it got canceled! The field was still wet from when it rained last week isn't that great?!" Carl exclaimed excitedly while Amanda gave him a knowing yet pointed look.

When he wasn't volunteering, fixing and restoring boats, or assisting his wife in coordinating various charity functions, Jack got a kick out of coaching the little baseball league at his son's school. While he proved to actually be pretty good, his son and teammates found his methods to be sometimes a little over the top.

"Carl…" She started in a scolding way.

"What? I'm not the only one that feels that way! Everyone on the team is excited for a break from dad's overbearing coaching!" Carl shrugged innocently.

"Oh come on, he can't be that bad." Amanda tried to reason only for her stepson to give her a dry and serious look.

"He made everyone do pushups because one team member struck out when he threw a bunch of free fly balls. He said we needed to be in better shape if we wanted to swing for the fences…" He deadpanned.

Amanda winced. "…Isn't that a warmup drill for football?"

Carl gave her a scoffing 'no-duh' look, and continued. "Anyways it's fine. He said he could use the break himself. Now he's getting ready to take us sailing!" He exclaimed with a smile.

"Oh that sounds fun!" Amanda smiled.

"Yeah, but he wasn't sure if you wanted to go or not..." Carl stated.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I wouldn't miss it! Why would I not want to go?"

"Well you haven't been feeling well lately. He didn't want you to get sicker."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Oh it's just a little cold that's all. It's that time of the year again and even you caught the bug a few weeks back."

"Yeah, but I didn't throw up as much as you." He pointed out with clear concern.

"Well don't worry, I'm feeling much better now; just a little tired, but not to the point where I can't spend time with you, dad, and Skippy. You go on ahead and help him with the sails, I'll catch up in a minute." She reassured.

"Great! I'll let him know!" Carl smiled and headed for the door.

"Hey!" She called out. He turned around in acknowledgement. "Remember how much I love you Carl?"

He gave a playful sigh, but chuckled at her. "I know, I know. Infinity…" He started, cupping his fingers together to make the shape of a sideways '8'.

"-Times infinity." Amanda finished with a smile, making the same shape with her fingers.

Once Carl left the room, Amanda picked up her journal and pen to finish writing.

When everything you love has been stolen from you…consider my story as you embark on your own journey of revenge…

Feeling somewhat satisfied with her entry, she closed the little book, prepared to put it away into her infinity box before she heard the TV blare with an incoming news update.

 

"This just in, new and shocking evidence from an anonymous source has just been discovered concerning the Patterson case and now calls the scandal and the multi-billion dollar company into question by the government. The evidence disclosed involves a list of multiple staggering financial transactions that were the exact same amount of the funds embezzled by the company's former CFO but was traced back to the Chairman of the Board's private bank account. It has also been discovered that he was responsible for Patterson's appointed position as chief of finances. When confronted, the senior executive refused to comment on the accusations, denying all charges, and insisted that a disgruntled hacker with an obvious vendetta against him was responsible for leaking his personal information as a means to frame him instead of Patterson for the embezzlement and murder. More information of possible further investigation is trending as we speak and we will keep you updated on the latest news." 

Amanda couldn't help but smirk secretively as her phone suddenly started to vibrate. She swiped her phone to answer, still not losing the smile as she heard the sly voice of her best friend on the other end.

"So….did you hear the news?" 

"Watching it right now as we speak actually. I guess a congratulations is in order?" She replied.

"Actually I was kind of hoping you would say-"

"-No." Amanda deadpanned.

"Aww come on Ams! I worked hard enough on this case and you cannot deny it and say that this takedown was not a work of pure art!" Nolan whined.

"Alright then Picasso, why don't you just give yourself a hearty pat on the back. It's not like it's that much of a big deal. You've done more things in our past takedowns." Amanda quipped.

"Yeah, but that was when I was just an important piece in your payback puzzle. Now I get to actually call the shots, run the show, and all for the pure purpose of justice. Revenging was overrated, I'm in the avenging business now!" He boasted.

"It means the same thing." She retorted.

"No-no-no, though the verb meanings are the same, revenging is inflicting punishment for the purpose of personal satisfaction in retaliation. Avenging is inflicting punishment in the pursuit of justice being served…and quite frankly I was always an avengers fan if you catch my drift…" 

"And just which exactly do you think we were doing in those 4 years?" She asked in a slightly sharp tone, daring him to give an answer she wouldn't like.

"…Mm a little bit of both…Mainly for the greater good…Though the lines of good and bad got kind of blurred and all soo...ANYWAYS, my point being, is that I like being a big part of a good cause…something for the greater good…that's actually…well, good…" 

"Whatever you say Nols." She shook her head with a smile. "Well, all things considered, you did a good job. I know Mrs. Patterson's son greatly appreciates your efforts."

"Well I couldn't do it alone you know...Special thanks goes to Mr. and Mrs. Smith for the assist!" Nolan smiled coyly.

"What?" Amanda asked dryly in confusion.

"I mean you and Jackie-boy of course! Those are just the newest nicknames I'm using for you two!" 

"You can't be serious." Amanda stated in disbelief.

"Well you have to admit you two make quite the cunning couple! Who knew that would also count as a great takedown team?" 

"Ooh no. Don't even. We had nothing to do with any of your takedowns at all. That was all you." She insisted firmly.

"True, but still, sending a special invite to Mr. Chairman of the Board to the latest charity function you two hosted gave me the perfect opportunity to do my thing! Especially since he was so occupied in promoting his so called generous image to notice that I secretly borrowed his phone! Who knew the idiot would use the Apple pay app to donate instead of writing a check like everyone else? He practically begged me on hands and knees to take him down!" Nolan bragged, making Amanda giggle softly.

"Well, in that case, glad we could help then. But like I said, you were the one behind the scenes this time around so feel free to, as you would say, revel in red sharpie goodness…" She smirked.

"Will do Ams! But first…You have to say it…" Nolan singsonged.

"I said no Nolan." She deadpanned again.

"Please? Just this once I promise I won't ask again! Just say it one time for me please!" Nolan begged.

"Ugh! Fine!" Amanda huffed and then sighed. "…Well done Grasshopper I have taught you well…Happy now?" Amanda deadpanned and nearly face palmed.

"Like a kid on Christmas! The victory is so real right now!" He gushed.

Amanda rolled her eyes and shook her head at her best friend's enthusiasm. She wouldn't be surprised if he was doing his own little victory dance. She couldn't help but think about Louise as his energy was practically a duplicate of hers. She was even more surprised that he still had yet to acknowledge the connection they obviously shared. Then again, she knew that he'd been through his fair share of hard crushes and heartbreaks and wondered secretly if that was what hindered him from taking things further with his love interests. Seeing how he played the major matchmaker for her marriage, she figured that she would need to return the favor somehow in the future for him.

"Well, whatever makes you happy Nols." She relented.

"You finally being happy is what does that Ams." Nolan replied with a smile. Before she could reply, she heard Carl call out to her.

"MOM?! WE'RE READY TO GO NOW! ARE YOU COMING?!"

"I'll be right there!" Amanda quickly responded back to her stepson, before continuing her conversation with Nolan. "Well, speaking of happiness, I better get ready to go. Jack's taking us all sailing." She smiled.

"And you're sure that's a good idea?" Nolan asked seriously.

"What do you mean?" She asked in suspicion.

"Well word on the street is that you've been under the weather so…"

"-I swear you and Jack…Look. I'm fine. It was just a little cold. The weather's changing, it's flu season, and I admit I've been a little nauseous, but I'm fine now." Amanda insisted with slight exasperation.

"Which I assume is why you asked for Louise's famous chocolate brownie recipe and ate it with a side of pickles instead of just trying out my infamous chicken noodle soup recipe for the sniffles?" Nolan quipped.

"So I changed things up with a little sweet and sour touch? What's your point?" She snapped in reply.

From his side, Nolan blinked for a moment before he shook his head with a playful smile. "…Oh it's nothing. Just…be careful okay Ams?"

"I always am." She replied with a shrug, but then softened her voice. "Take care Nols. Watch yourself out there okay?"

"Of course! I learned from the best after all. Talk to you later Ams." Nolan replied and hung up.

She shook her head with a smile at the thought of her best friend before picking up her journal to jot something in addition to her last sentence.

When everything you love has been stolen from you…consider my story as you embark on your own journey of revenge…

And always remember…

…What goes around, comes around.

With that, she closed the little book and put it away in her infinity box next to her little red sharpie marker. She eyed it for a moment before smiling and putting the box away completely, ready to join her husband, son, and dog on the beloved boat that her father restored for them.

 

Meanwhile, somewhere outside of the Hamptons in the deep forest, the beautiful brunette known as Charlotte Clarke entered into the small yet familiar cabin that her father once stayed in. She sighed at the brief memories she made with her father while he was alive; feeling fortunate that she at least finally knew her origin and that unlike the rest of her so called ex-family members, David Clarke was not only a good man, but loved her genuinely.

After his death, Charlotte embraced the opportunity to bond with her sister as she shared all of the stories and memories of their father; how he was like, how close they were, and how much he loved them both. Like her sister, she eventually learned to cope better with the closure she gained and moved on with her life, determined to be a daughter David would have been proud of and make a difference in the world. She thought persuing an interest in pre-law was the perfect way to start. Now fresh out of school, she knew she had a lot of work to do, but wanted to take a break and get away from the craziness and find a place of solitude for a moment.

Her father's old cabin was the perfect place for that. As she explored the various rooms, her heels clicking on the wooden floors, she inhaled the familiar yet distant sensations that brought a sense of solace and comfort to her soul. Satisfied, she took a seat on one of the beds and looked into her purse for a letter that her dad wrote to her before he died. In the fray of trying to find the letter, she dropped it and it landed underneath the bed. Before she could bend down to grab it, she saw a messy pile of envelopes hidden next to where her letter had fallen. Curious, she grabbed one of them only to let out a disapproving hum as she saw the name 'Victoria Grayson' marked on the front. Tempted to rip it into shreds, she paused as she noticed that all the pile of envelopes had the same name addressed on them marked with the words 'urgent' and other sentences that seemed threatening.

Intrigued, she opened one and read its contents only to find out that they were threatening and demanding letters to her now deceased mother from what it seemed to be a dissatisfied physician regarding medical records, violation of HIPPAA law risks, and finally demands for more funds. Charlotte picked at the pile of letters, organizing them by each date they were sent by both the physician and Victoria and read them in order. She was able to piece bits and bits of the exchanging conversations together, but was still confused since she could not find the first original letter to make sense of the whole thing. But then she saw an old faded envelope stick out from the bottom of the remaining pile.

It was the original letter.

She opened and read it, only to gasp in horror once she read whom the exchanging letters were talking about.

It was about her sister.

Charlotte's hands flew to her mouth as she dropped the piece of paper, putting two and two together.

"Oh my god…She lied…"

The End...?


End file.
